South Korean artist Chun Kwang Young designs the label for Nittardi’s Chianti Classico

From Yoko Ono to Günter Grass, from Igor Mitoraj to Dario Fo, from Corneille to Eduardo Arroyo, from Mimmo Paladino to Emilio Tadini, from Pierre Alechinsky to James Ivory, these are just some of the world’s greatest artists who have put their signature on Casanuova di Nittardi's Chianti Classico, creating the designer labels of this historic winery - which belonged to Michelangelo Buonarroti in the 16th century, who sent wine to Pope Paul III in Rome - one of the richest and most important wine & art collections, a pioneer in Italy in promoting their union (since the early 1980s, ed.), which today boasts many case histories that we increasingly report on WineNews, against the backdrop of the Tuscan territory, considered the most beautiful in the world, between medieval Siena and Renaissance Florence, a veritable district of international wine and art. And for the 2023 vintage of Vigna Doghesse, Nittardi invited Chun Kwang Young, a South Korean artist considered one of the most important contemporary Asian names, famous for his poetic paper works composed of thousands of hand-folded fragments, to create a work of art in a bottle in which organic shapes, delicate color shades, and a subtle dialogue between light and shadow, between matter and emotion, reflect the poetics of his compositions that blend tradition and the spirit of the times, Eastern philosophy and Western aesthetics.
“My artworks are made up of countless small elements that together create a harmonious whole, just like wine, where many different nuances come together in perfect harmony”, explains the artist, famous for his “Aggregations” series, whose works are on display at the British Museum in London, the Seoul Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, among others. “Wine is a living work of art”, says Peter Femfert, gallery owner and founder, together with his wife Stefania Canali, of Nittardi, now run by their son Léon Femfert. “A great wine and a great work of art are more than just a product: they are an expression of culture, passion, and emotion”.
Alongside Nittardi Vigna Doghessa Chianti Classico Casanuova, a special selection of the best grapes from the vineyard has been vinified and aged separately for the 2023 vintage. This wine has been bottled for the first time as Nittardi Chianti Classico Riserva Casanuova, in a limited edition exclusively in magnum format. For this version, the artist has created a third dedicated work, applied to the bottle with an embossed label: a true Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art that combines wine, material, and idea. This is what unites the philosophy of the great artist with wine production: patience, balance, and inner harmony.