Artimino, where the Medici once produced culture, today, the future of wine is discussed

“Today I was in Artimino, and believe me, Your Highness, I found a Spring there”: it’s not hard to imagine the inspiration behind a Renaissance masterpiece like Botticelli’s Primavera in these words, written in 1596 by Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de’ Medici, to his wife Cristina of Lorraine, upon seeing the Villa of Artimino, also known as Villa La Ferdinanda or the Villa of the Hundred Chimneys, it was commissioned by the Grand Duke and built among the vineyards of Montalbano and Carmignano by the great architect Bernardo Buontalenti. It was the last of the Medici Villas, a synthesis of the aristocratic Tuscan countryside villa model, dedicated to leisure, arts, and knowledge, promoted by the Medici family and now a Unesco World Heritage Site (as WineNews reported in a video). It’s not difficult to imagine Galileo Galilei there, studying the relationship between man and nature, or Leonardo da Vinci designing an automatic rotisserie for kitchens and wild game hunted in the Barco Reale. And it was here, even before the Uffizi Gallery, that one could admire the perfect synthesis of wine’s beauty: Caravaggio’s Bacchus.
It is here, at Tenuta Artimino, owned since the 1980s by the Olmo family, who leads the Olmo Group - founded by Giuseppe Olmo, a great cyclist who set the hour record in 1935 and later, after the war, founded the Olmo bicycle factory, which gave rise to a leading polyurethane production group, also active in mountain tourism in Valsassina, Lombardy, and of course in Tuscany, with 700 hectares, 70 of which are vineyards, the rest woods and olive groves, now managed by Giuseppe’s grandchildren, Francesco Spotorno Olmo and Annabella Pascale) - in the first Study Day dedicated to “La svolta tecnoculturale: intelligenza artificiale, viticoltura, enologia e nuove culture del vino” - “The Technocultural Shift: Artificial Intelligence, Viticulture, Enology, and New Wine Cultures” promoted by the Giuseppe Olmo Foundation. The event focused on how to integrate knowledge from agricultural and environmental sciences, digital technologies, neuroscience, marketing, and human sciences to analyze the current paradigm shift affecting the wine sector and its relationship with material wine culture, landscape, and contemporary consumption.
If Annabella Pascale, president of the Olmo Foundation, recalled how her grandfather Giuseppe Olmo, “a visionary entrepreneur, acquired the Artimino Estate in 1989, recognizing its potential as an integrated ecosystem of history, agriculture, viticulture, art, and tourism”, the president of Italian enologists Riccardo Cotarella, highlighted that “today, wine is no longer just an agricultural product, but a complex and value system intersecting technological supply chains, emerging consumption models, and new cultural meanings”. The first session addressed scientific and technological innovation in viticulture and winemaking, focusing on the analysis of epistemological, technical, and production changes brought about by the adoption of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence in agricultural contexts. Attilio Scienza, professor of viticulture at the University of Milan, expert in grapevine genetics and wine innovation, and director of the “Territorial Culture” area of the Olmo Foundation, reflected on “Viticulture between tradition, science, and new technologies,” beginning with a semantic premise on the word tradition: tradere means to transmit, transfer, hand down, but also to betray, meaning to fail a commitment. “I believe this is the synopsis of my talk, tradition and innovation are not antithetical factors, but two aspects that must be integrated, and perhaps, soon, with artificial intelligence, we will manage to do that - said Scienza - it is said that innovation is a well-executed tradition. Is Sangiovese in California tradition or innovation? Can the fact that Chianti formula of Baron Ricasoli is overturned by the arrival of the Supertuscans, be considered as a betrayal? In this context, it is necessary to reflect on the concept of autochthony, the tradition of Italian wine. Truly native grape varieties in Italy are very few, obtained from the domestication of wild vines; all others are the result of introgressions and crossings with genotypes from the most diverse places”.
A symbolic case is that of Sangiovese, considered native to Tuscany, but actually originating from Calabria and Sicily, which found quality and prestige only on the Tuscan hills and in some areas of Romagna. The tension between continuity and transformation offers a key to the future of viticulture. Only a wise use of tools offered by genetics, advanced sensors, and intelligent systems will allow us to face ongoing climate change”. In this context, the professor pointed to “the opportunity to introduce Piwi grape varieties (resistant to fungal diseases) as a tool for sustainability and reducing environmental impact, although true progress will come with the adoption of Tea (assisted evolution techniques), whose results will lead to the selection of more resilient grape varieties and rootstocks against diseases and climate change. The application of artificial intelligence methods will also allow the creation of ideal training systems, capable of escaping high temperatures and reducing pruning cuts, thereby extending the vineyard’s life cycle”. Luca Toninato, expert in precision viticulture and remote sensing, talking about “Satellite Surveys and Smart Vineyard Management”, delving into the role of space technologies and georeferenced data processing. Through Sentinel-2 satellite sensors, it is now possible to build predictive models and high-resolution vegetative vigor maps. Toninato showed how integrated information management (geolocation, slope, soil composition, humidity, exposure, microclimate) enables 4.0 viticulture practices, based on differentiated strategies for each plot, down to the individual plant. The combined use of satellite data, field sensors, drones, and AI algorithms enables site-specific agriculture, reducing chemical inputs, optimizing water management, and improving production quality. Franco Achilli, professor of Visual Identity at Iulm University in Milan and director of the “Corporate Culture” area of Olmo Foundation, in his talk “Oltre natura/cultura: verso una nuova antropologia del Genius Loci Vitivinicolo” - “Beyond Nature/Culture: Toward a New Anthropology of the Viticultural Genius Loci,” addressed - through a transdisciplinary interpretive framework - the value of the Genius Loci in the culture and development of places and landscapes, in a context of desirable recovery of harmony between humans, other species, and the so-called commons made up of natural heritage and anthropized landscapes. From defining the theme, including syntheses of positions from philosophers, anthropologists, filmmakers, and artists, the historical evolution of the relationship between humans, landscape, and nature emerged, introducing contemporary neo-humanistic perspectives (cf. Tim Ingold), and concluding with an anthropological view of contemporary viticulture. Vincenzo Russo, Iulm professor and founder and director of the Neuromarketing Research Center, explored in his talk “Neuromarketing del vino: neuroscienze, emozioni e scelte di consumo” - “Wine Neuromarketing: Neuroscience, Emotions, and Consumer Choices” the role of emotions in decision-making processes related to wine. “The analysis shows that brand and image are fundamental in the choice and perception of a wine product. Humans are more emotional machines who think than thinking machines who feel. Our brain is emotionally activated and influenced by external stimuli that can even affect the taste of a product. In market tests, consumers perceive wine presented at a higher price as better than the same wine at a lower price. The non-expert consumer’s brain looks to alcohol content, organic certification, and bottle size, but in reality, 70% of labels on the market are highly self-referential and do not tell what consumers are looking for”. According to Russo, the consumer is guided by multisensory stimuli that alter taste perception.
Communication, marketing, and new consumption scenarios were the focus of the second session, which explored the cultural, perceptual, and strategic dynamics related to the representation and communication of wine in the contemporary ecosystem.
Alberto Mattiacci, full professor of Business Economics and Management at La Sapienza University in Rome, illustrated in his talk “Branding, reputation e strategie di marketing vitivinicolo nel tempo dell’incertezza” - “Branding, reputation, and wine marketing strategies in times of uncertainty” how the brand becomes a signifying and reassuring element in fragmented and unstable socioeconomic contexts. “The consumer expresses himself/herself through “the choice” which is why marketing must focus on branding, a fundamental element of the company’s competitive formula, but not yet managed as the main asset. This was first understood by visionary entrepreneurs who created global brands like Apple and McDonald’s. Wine is increasingly perceived as a cultural experience, and branding must therefore reflect the values, coherence, and narrative of the territory and producer, in dialogue with consumption and its new segments”. Gabriele Gorelli, the first Italian Master of Wine, analyzed the topic “Taste oscillations and new international wine consumption trends”, highlighting how “consumption is increasingly oriented toward lighter, lower-alcohol, sustainable products which meet the growing demand for transparency, authenticity, and environmental responsibility, also in generational and cross-cultural terms. Taste oscillation, like that of a pendulum, never passes through the same point. Wine consumption is changing; it used to be introduced in the family as a healthy food. It has always played a role as a social lubricant, a glue for friendships and gatherings. Now we meet online, and the sector is constantly evolving. Heraclitus said there is no permanent reality except the reality of change, and permanence is an illusion of the senses. Influences on wine consumption are many, complex, and sometimes interconnected, but oscillation also means opportunity, new markets, like Mexico, new consumption occasions, even as alternatives to spirits. Trends represent forms of evolution, a part of the market that transforms, but good wines, those with personality, remain”. Vanni Codeluppi, professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, conducted a socio-semiotic analysis in his talk “Il vino come patrimonio simbolico e semiotico del Made in Italy” - “Wine as a Symbolic and Semiotic Heritage of Made in Italy.” Starting from epochal events like September, 11th and climate change, he noted “an anthropological shift in consumption and a general sense of uncertainty and insecurity among individuals. There are many signals: we try to compensate this fear by buying larger, seemingly more protective cars; we seek escape through luxury, perhaps more accessible, or through products that lead to playful regression. Drought, water issues, and environmental pollution lead to a perception of precariousness, of a problematic nature. Consumers are aware and seek to find balance within themselves. In Italy, the number of vegetarians is growing - today 8% - and so is the demand for natural products to seek a reconciled relationship with nature, this also affects the wine sector, which is now seen as a symbol of identity and emotional refuge. The excess of product offers gives consumers a sense of saturation, leading to snack culture, fast and superficial consumption, but at the same time, there is an almost obsessive search for safe, well-made, transparent, authentic products rooted in a territory, created by small producers, an important reality for the wine world as well. In mass consumer society, product standardization prevails, and French philosopher Michel Le Gris, in his book “Dioniso crocifisso” - “Dionysus Crucified”, speaks of the domestication of wine taste to satisfy large markets, but at the same time, it becomes impoverished.” On the contrary, “today, wine must talk about true and coherent identity,” according to Codeluppi.
Guido Di Fraia, Vice Rector for Innovation at Iulm and Ceo of “ Iulm Ai Lab”. outlined “Nuove frontiere della comunicazione del vino con l’Intelligenza artificiale” - “New Frontiers in Wine Communication with Artificial Intelligence”: “Ai recognizes images, understands human language, processes data, and today, it is also generative, capable of creating content. The integration of these four capabilities can be useful to all departments of a wine company. In the vineyard, Ai monitors the needs of each plot and individual vine; special sensors communicate the health status of a plant to intervene in the right place at the right time. Today, vineyard monitoring is supported by special assistants, optical sensors that derive parameters based on light reflection variations and SiP (system on a package) electronics. Furthermore, plant defense strategies can be improved through the study of Vocs, volatile organic compounds, signals or scents that allow plants to communicate over long distances. In practice, when under attack, plants emit molecular pathways as signaling mechanisms. AI is now a generative tool, capable not only of analyzing data and recognizing images and language but also of creating content. From predictive vineyard management using advanced sensors to logistics planning, from financial management to personalized campaign creation, AI enhances every level of the wine enterprise, from supply chain to cellar. Special algorithms manage the entire company administration and identify the best paths in terms of environmental impact and resource conservation. A specific intelligence develops market research, even internationally, to monitor prices, competition, and discounts. The goal is not to replace human intelligence but to augment it: to free up creative resources, improve performance, and focus on managing complexity”.
Vincenzo Ercolino, coordinator of the Olmo Foundation and a key figure in the Italian wine sector, concluded “from all the presentations, one thing is clear: no product is as resilient to trends and epochal changes as wine. The techno-anthropological revolution of recent years must prompt a collective reflection involving all categories engaged in wine production or consumption. Every bottle we make is already the result of an alliance between nature, culture, and territory. And if we do it with respect for quality, with commitment, with the vision of the right people, and by engaging with those who have knowledge and expertise, the result will be good. Good like wine”.