NETJETS EU VOLUME 15 2021

CULTURAL CACHE
ITALIAN WORKS
From left: Protect Me
Everywhere, 2012, by Valerio
Berruti at Ceretto; red nerve,
2019, by Miroslaw Balka at
Castello di Ama
MARINA SPIRONETTI
ALESSANDRO MOGGI
The placement of art in vineyards is a relatively recent
phenomenon, largely because oenotourism itself is relatively new.
For centuries, wine lovers, even the most ardent, were as unlikely to
visit the grapes as they were to try catching a beluga in the Caspian
Sea or visiting the dairy that made a particularly piquant cheese.
AS IN SO MUCH of the modern wine world, Robert Mondavi played
a role in turning vineyards into destinations. His efforts in getting
Californians to venture north to Napa kickstarted the concept – and
not just in the American West. In France, for instance, people didn’t
visit vineyards, in part because the négociant model gave merchants
full control of distribution, which meant that in some cases you couldn’t
buy the wine directly from the grower even if you knocked on the door.
Standing in the splendid isolation of the Peyrassol (peyrassol.
com) estate in Provence today, with views of the rolling hills and
distant mountains, kissed by the breezes wafting up from the
Mediterranean, you wonder why it took us so long to make vineyards
visitable. the estate dates back to the 13th century and still produces
standout rosés, but its leading appeal at the moment is its phenomenal
sculpture garden, superb permanent indoor exhibition and current
temporary solo show given over to Anish Kapoor. Just up the road,
on the other side of Aix-en-Provence, Château La Coste (chateaula-coste.com)
has taken the art-and-wine destination to the next
level: museum-quality exhibitions are joined by a sculpture garden of
marvels as well as two restaurants led by celebrated chefs – Hélène
Darroze and Francis Mallmann – and a 28-suite hotel and spa.
Across the Italian border, in Piedmont, Ceretto (ceretto.
com) was a pioneer in modern winemaking in the region – the
single-vineyard barolos are a must-try – and it was also the first
to bring artists to the region for site-specific creations. Thirdgeneration
vigneron Bruno Ceretto invited British artist David
Tremlett to paint the Chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the
Art in vineyards is a relatively recent
phenomenon, largely because
enotourism itself is relatively new
38 NetJets