Art-Adorned Bottles of the 2007 Vintage to be Auctioned to Benefit Whitney Museum of American Art
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, one of Italy's preeminent wine producers, brings the estate's special art series, Vendemmia d'Artista, to the U.S. (www.vendemmiadartista.com) The series celebrates the character of each new vintage of Ornellaia, the estate's flagship wine. This year's Vendemmia d'Artista L'Armonia (harmony) celebrates the harmonious character of Ornellaia 2007.
Internationally acclaimed artist Ghada Amer collaborated with artist Reza Farkhondeh to interpret Ornellaia 2007 L'Armonia. The artists created a series of hand painted, intricately threaded and printed labels, which adorn three exclusive sets of large format bottles of Ornellaia 2007. In addition, Amer created a site-specific garden installation for the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate in Tuscany.
On April 28, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia will unveil the labels at a celebratory dinner at the Whitney Museum of American Art. That evening, a live and online auction of 23 of the highly collectible Vendemmia d'Artista large-format bottles will be conducted by a Sotheby's auctioneer. Lots will include the unique 9 litre Salmanazar, featuring a one-of-a-kind, large-format, painted and hand-stitched canvas label by the artists, 4 Imperial bottles, plus the copper-colored series of 18 Double Magnums. Collectors worldwide will be able to bid online in real time through Sotheby's website (www.sothebys.com). Proceeds will benefit the Whitney's conservation efforts in the area of modern and contemporary American art.
"Working with Ornellaia was a natural fit for us," explained artist Ghada Amer about her work with artist Reza Farkhondeh. "Just as artists take raw elements and make them into something beautiful, Ornellaia uses the same process to create each new vintage. The similarity of these two worlds inspired us to create a series of labels that not only portray the harmony in the 2007 vintage, but the harmony between art and wine."
Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heinz explained, "The 2007 vintage is complex and elegant, but most of all we were struck by its harmonious character. Ghada and Reza's artwork brought a new and unique dimension of life to the wine and the character of the vintage."
Imported by Folio Fine Wine Partners, Ornellaia can be purchased at fine wine retailers, select restaurants or by visiting www.foliowine.com.
About Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia (www.ornellaia.it) produces four highly-acclaimed wines: Ornellaia, a blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc; Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, the 'second vin' of Ornellaia; and Le Volte, a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Careful hand-harvest ensures that only the finest fruit goes into these wines and meticulous winemaking methods—such as keeping vineyard lots separate until final blending—result in the finest expression of this distinctive terroir. The wines of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia have achieved legendary critical status.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6176572&lang=en
Contacts:
Allison & Partners
Cheryl Wortzel, +1-646-428-0614
folio@allisonpr.com
or
FITZ
& CO
Dan Tanzilli, +1-212-627-1455 *226
dan@fitzandco.com
