Land, wisdom and future: this is, in short, the message launched today in Montalcino by Carlo Petrini, who designed the celebratory tile of the 2014 grape harvest. Petrini, founder of Slow Food and the only Italian to have been included by the British newspaper The Guardian among the 50 people who “could save the planet”, has declared: “The history of Slow Food and of its forerunner, Arcigola, is closely linked to the village of Montalcino. It’s always nice to return, also because, every time, it is amazing to see how the exponential growth of the appellation has not spoilt the farming landscape, which continues to be among the most beautiful and well cared for in our country. The commercial success of this red wine has contributed to achieving a balance and a harmony which are hard to find in other country areas. The use by many winegrowers of sustainable, organic and biodynamic production methods should also be a source of pride for all the people of Montalcino. The remarkable thing – continues Petrini – is that here work continues on the preservation of woods, dirt roads and some pastures and seed crops. The quality of the wines is constantly rising and the rethink that took place in the middle of the first decade of this century has been really beneficial to the appellation. The wines have gained in terms of territoriality and proximity to the grape variety of origin, that Sangiovese Grosso which proves, here in Montalcino, to be one of the most noble grape varieties at world level”.
As regards the idea behind the design of the tile, Petrini explained that “wine, poetry of the land and testimony to an entire culture, brings men together, mitigates disagreements and warms the atmosphere of a convivial get-together, also leaving its mark on the tablecloth as a reminder of the happy time spent around the table. This is the idea behind the design of my tile. A symbol of conviviality, the leading value of farming tradition and lynchpin of the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next”.