A handful of innovative and long established regional wineries are redefining the traditional experience typically associated with ancient vineyards and medieval cellars by cleverly incorporating contemporary art works and modern design. Essteele showcases three ground-breaking Italian estates where art meets wine.
Ceretto Winery, Langhe in Piedmont
With four wineries to their name, the third generation of the Ceretto family have created a wine dynasty that is continually evolving alongside their deep passion for contemporary art. Permanent art installations on their various properties include the kaleidoscopic 'Chapel of Barolo', the 'Ceretto Cube', built on the top of the Bricco Rocche hill in Castiglione Falletto, and 'The Grape', a large oval bubble suspended above the vineyards on their Monsordo Bernardina Estate. On-site exhibitions showcasing artists of international fame are an annual occurrence, the experience made all the more enjoyable whilst indulging in tailor-made tastings of their award-winning wines.
Castello di Ama, Gaiole in Chianti
Located in one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, this Tuscan winery is notable for its outstanding Chianti and in more recent years, for possessing one of the most important contemporary collections of site-specific works of art in Italy. For the past 15 years, passionate collectors and owners, Lorenza and Marco Pallanti have been inviting some of the world’s most significant artists to their winery including Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren and Louise Bourgeois. The blend of historic and modern includes marble and stainless steel sculptures residing in their 18th-century chapel, and a striking 25-metre mirrored wall alongside an old castle featuring windows that offer picture-perfect views of the surrounding countryside.
Main image: Il Cubo (Ceretto Cube) at Ceretto Winery
Want more Italian wineries? Check out our 2017 Italian Wine guide