After seven years of development, design and construction, a magnificent museum dedicated to wine is now open in France`s Bordeaux region. The region`s wines have been well-known for centuries, but the brand-new La Cité du Vin (City of Wine) lives up to its name.

The architecturally odd La Cité du Vin certainly stands out among the other buildings along Bordeaux`s Garonne River. The 10-story building looks more like a twisting, mirrored vine than a classical museum—an effect absolutely intended by its designers, Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières. The pair designed the monument to France`s wine culture to mimic both the swirl of wine in a glass, the twisting curves of the grapevine, and the waves of the nearby river, Nick Rose reports for Munchies.

`This building does not resemble any recognizable shape because it is an evocation of the soul of wine between the river and the city,` Legendre and Desmazières tell ArchDaily.

La Cité du Vin might be a museum dedicated to wine, but the wealth of activities inside have led some to compare it to a world fair. Inside of the museum is a two-story wine bar, a 250-seat auditorium for classes and film screenings, as well as 20 exhibits about the process, culture and history of winemaking, Mike MacEacheran reports for Condé Nast Traveler. Some have even called it a wine-themed amusement park, pointing to the museum`s virtual boat ride simulating a merchant ship`s travels around the world and a `tasting experience` that includes moving sets and 3D displays as well as manufactured scents that go along with the exhibits.

Image courtesy and full article can be found at source Smithsonianmag.com