Valentino, the myth of Italian fashion, and that passion for wine, from Gavi to Brunello

The worlds of fashion and wine have often crossed paths and appreciated one another. There is no social event without a toast in the name of quality, and it is worth remembering that both sectors have always paid the same attention to detail, contemporaneity, refinement, and a society in constant evolution, all with an impeccable mix of passion and expertise which has at times produced extraordinary results. It is no coincidence that many major figures on the international fashion and luxury scene have invested in wine: from the Arnault family, owners of Lvmh (with brands such as Moët & Chandon, Krug, Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem, Ruinart, Dom Pérignon, Domaine des Lambrays, Veuve Clicquot, Cloudy Bay, Bodega Numanthia, Terrazza de Los Andes and Ao Yun, among others), to successful Italian entrepreneurs such as Brunello Cucinelli, Renzo Rosso, Sandro Veronesi, and Salvatore Ferragamo. And, then there are those who have found in wine a fundamental element of daily life, something to share, a source of conviviality, an irreplaceable presence to seal a special moment. This is the case of Valentino, a legend of fashion and of made in Italy, a designer who made history and left a great, likely unfillable void. Valentino had developed a sincere friendship with Count Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli, one of the ambassadors of the union between wine, elegance, and extravagance, and also a name of great importance for Montalcino and Brunello, a land and a wine he experienced as a protagonist and still loves today. Until 1989, in fact, Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli owned one of Montalcino most important estates, Argiano, later sold to Count Alberto Marone Cinzano and now owned by Brazilian entrepreneur André Santos Esteves. Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli has shared a few delightful anecdotes, revealing both Valentino passion, passed away recently, for wine and, above all, for conviviality and the importance of the table as a unique moment of sharing. “My relationship with Valentino goes back a long time  - explains Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli -  I remember that when he was about 28 or 29 years old, he moved from Paris to Rome for work and rented an apartment in Palazzo Gaetani Lovatelli. My siblings and I were very young; I remember his white Rolls Royce. He was very kind to us, we would see him when we went to school and he entered his office”. A solid friendship in which wine played a special role. “We came to Argiano, my brother Cristoforo and I - still explains Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli - we became passionate about Brunello di Montalcino. The first vintage we produced, that of 1970, was released in 1974, and I immediately took care of promoting it together with the estate manager”. From there, an idea came out. “I wrote a handwritten letter in 1974 to Valentino, who was becoming increasingly famous - continues Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli - letting him know that we were producing Brunello and that we would be proud to offer him some. We hoped he would become our customer”. And what happened next? “Valentino called Argiano, he wanted to talk with me. He said he absolutely wanted to try our Brunello di Montalcino and asked for ten cases. Cristoforo and I left Argiano with the van and went to Piazza Mignanelli (a historic square in central Rome near Piazza di Spagna, ed). Valentino greeted us, he was truly a polite person. He never came to Argiano, but we spent a lot of time together. His relationship with wine? He drank white wine, Gavi La Scolca black label (Italy's most “glamorous” white wine, always present in the glasses of celebrities and major events). He liked Brunello very much. He always had many guests, wine was never missing”. And, then, there are memories from the yacht, the holidays, the friendships. “There were fixed rituals. At 1:30 p.m., we would meet for lunch; Valentino loved simple dishes, pasta with tomato sauce, big salads. At 6:30 p.m., it was happy hour time, which was something wonderful and preceded dinner. Giancarlo Giammetti was always there. Meeting up in the evening and talking, evenings with Valentino were special”.