When wine meets art: Tenute Venturini Foschi and the works of Flavio Lucchini at the Fuorisalone in Milan

Tenute Venturini Foschi at Fuorisalone 2021 in Milano Design Week: between wine and art. A common thread that passes through Oblong Contemporary, a contemporary art gallery, and arrives at the vineyards of the Food Valley.

The long-awaited event of the Fuorisalone 2021 at Milan Design Weekhas come to an end. It saw the city come alive with a meeting between art and design. These two, however, were not the only stars of the show: the world of wine was also involved thanks to various events organised by the Venturini Foschi Estates, owned by Pier Luigi Foschi and his wife Emanuela Venturini, and the Contemporary Art Gallery Oblong (also run by Emanuela) which operates both locally and on the international art stage.

Its mission is to create a successful place for cultural exchange and success, represented by its locations in Dubai and Forte dei Marmi, Italy. The two women entrepreneurs behind the project, Emanuela Venturini and Paola Marucci, have combined their love for art and culture to create a platform for intercultural exchange between Dubai (UAE) and Pietrasanta (Italy).

“As well as being the other half of Tenute Venturini Foschi, I am an architect and designer and have been interested in art all my life: where there is culture, I believe there can be good wine. There is a desire to start again and do so with excellence,” says Emanuela Venturini.

The Venturini Foschi Estates

The young project is the brainchild of a manager and a professional architect fascinated by a world different from the one they inhabit. Pier Luigi Foschi and his wife Emanuela Venturini went to Emilia to create a venture that starts with wine and winds through the concepts of hospitality and art, with the realisation of what will be a boutique winery intended for high-end wine tourism and what will become a true wine theatre with exclusive cultural events.

Their mission is to create quality wines while respecting the laws of nature, which is why theyhave decided to follow the path of organic farming. The vineyards, which extend between the municipalities of Medesano and Noceto, give the first results with the Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, in particular on the vineyard renamed FONIO. Other plots have been added to this one.

The wines

SoThere are several projects underway ranging from whites to reds, from dry to demi sec and from native to international grapes.

The first creations are the labels that debuted at the Fuorisalone 2021 events: GEMMA and GEMMA GENTILE, expressions of pure Malvasia di Candia. FONIO, a fascinating blend of Malvasia, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, will also be on the market soon.

Two different stories united by a passion

“My wife and her friend’s passion for art led to the development of the two galleries in Forte de Marmi and Dubai. The Fuorisalone event is our first attempt to export art to Milan under the Oblong emblem. In parallel, Emanuela and I went to live in the hills of Parma.

My wife has Parma origins. A few years ago we had a bequest: some land and a 15th-century tower that we restored. I moved there permanently, falling in love with places that were unknown to me.

We had a very small plot of well-exposed land and decided to make a vineyard onit and buy more to build the basis of a 27 hectare winery. At the moment we have planted 23 hectares. The first plot was planted in 2016, the company was established in 2018 and the first harvest was in 2019.

This is the year of quantitative and qualitative production, which leads us to a marriage of quality wine and art, thanks to the clientele sought by Emanuela and Paola. The same profile of this clientele can be the consumer of our wine,” says Pier Luigi Foschi.