Barolo and Optimism: the 4th edition of Fontanafredda’s “Renaissance” Project

“Optimism is the essence of life”, said the great Tonino Guerra, Italian poet and screenwriter in the commercial that made the UNIEURO chain famous, when Farinetti was the owner. Optimism is needed more than ever, now, at all levels, and it is the theme of the 4th edition of “Renaissance, Illustrious Words for a New Humanity”, the ten-year project created by Fontanafredda, one of the historic and most famous wineries in Barolo, which Vittorio Emanuele II had donated to his lover, “bela Rosin”. Today, Farinetti owns the winery and its surrounding 120 hectares of certified organic vineyards, the first Narrating Village in Italy, dedicated to Barolo of the Serralunga d’Alba Municipality, “exploring the 10 feelings that in the history of our civilization have given rise to collective rebirths. Following “ hope, trust and courage”, the 2021 vintage is dedicated to Optimism, narrated through the monograph by Chiara Gamberale, and the illustrations by Riccardo Guasco”.
Wine, especially Barolo of the Serralunga d’Alba municipality - the first municipal mention in the world of Barolo - becomes “a tool to interpret a new Renaissance: the Green Renaissance”. Famous contemporary writers and renowned Italian illustrators have collaborated to narrate Barolo through three art forms, the art of making wine, the art of writing and the art of painting. It is a ten-year project to explore the values and feelings that in the history of humanity have inspired the great rebirths of our civilization. The project is a collection that began with “hope”, a desire that starts from us, and leads us to “trust”, a feeling that generates “courage” and makes “optimism” prevail, which is the star of the 2021 vintage. “The true optimist does not ignore difficulties, but is aware of them and tries to solve them with thoughts, words and actions”, Oscar Farinetti explained (the interview with WineNews here), “being optimistic is not just a feeling, but a way of being that translates into concrete actions to face problems in a community spirit. We must stop complaining, and start acting to solve the challenges of the modern world, such as the climate crisis. In our own small way, in 2024, we created Bosco Vigna, and planted over 170 plants in our vineyards, to promote biodiversity in the vineyards and reduce the impact of intensive monoculture. We aren’t stopping there, though. In 2025, we will plant more than 50 new, large plants and continue to expand our commitment. We want to restore and improve the biodiversity of our entire system, in new green areas with various species of trees and hedges in the Narration Village, as well as restore wetlands to recreate an ideal ecosystem for amphibians, aquatic plants and arboreal plants”. The fourth edition of Renaissance, as we have mentioned, is even more special as Oscar Farinetti has written the preface, Chiara Gamberale has written the monograph, “Libero Tutti”, and the visual work is by the illustrator, Riccardo Guasco.
Gamberale, a successful author, wrote her first book in 1999,“ Una vita sottile - Premio Opera Prima Orient Express”. Her novels have been translated in 14 languages, and are at the top of the charts in Spain and Latin America. Riccardo Guasco, an illustrator and painter from Piedmont, has collaborated with International magazines such as The New Yorker, Los Angeles Magazine and Vogue. Winner of prestigious awards, including the Illustri2019 Award, “Personal Work” category and the Society of Illustrators New York 58th, “Advertising” category, he has interpreted the theme of Optimism in his work “L’ottimismo, una forza dentro”. The illustration, using the symbol of a mask, is the metaphor of a double vision of the world, where optimism and melancholy, happiness and sadness coexist, and images that evoke joy and lightheartedness hide the pain and suffering behind one’s smile.