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