On Friday, November 28, a special edition of our Chardonnay was presented at Palazzo Butera in Palermo to celebrate the thirtieth harvest of the wine. The event kicked off the tour that will take this project around the world, with stops in Milan, Munich, Tokyo, London, and the United States.
Thirtieth harvest for Chardonnay, then as now the most contemporary of our wines.
To emphasize its uniqueness, only one of the six bottles in the pack will feature a reproduction of the artwork ‘On Fire’ (2023) by Claire Fontaine on the label. This piece is part of Planeta’s small art collection, located in Ulmo at the Studiolo. Claire Fontaine is a readymade art collective founded in Paris in 2004. Since 2017, they have been living and working in Palermo. The label is the result of a collaboration with Planeta, born from a shared set of values and projects. ‘On Fire’ (2023), the flame reminiscent of the alcohol content of the bottle, is a light sculpture depicting the identical emoji, removing it from digital use. Emojis are ideograms used in place of words to articulate our emotions without the physical presence. In Sicily, where the effects of summer are visible in the landscape, this project supports initiatives to promote greening and care.
The celebration is also indirectly linked to the element of fire through the creation of the “A Long and Magnificent Walk” Itinerary in the rural landscape of the Selinunte Archaeological Park. This itinerary was curated by Prof. Giuseppe Barbera and landscape architect Tiziana Calvo, with advice from Dr. Manlio Speciale, scientific consultant to the Radicepura Horticultural Park.
The route is based on the work of archaeologist Vincenzo Tusa, former Superintendent of Cultural Heritage for Western Sicily, who redesigned the boundaries and the “interpretation” of the park. Starting from Case del Viaggiatore (Travelers’ Houses), the route leads to the monumental complexes and antiquarium at Baglio Florio. From there, it continues to the mouth of the Modione River, the Demetra Malophoros complex, and the Case Gaggera, which has an extraordinary perennial spring. Then, it climbs up the promontory until it reaches the rural architecture of Case De Sabato, Case Sinacore, and finally, Case Titone.
Targeted interventions on green infrastructure will affect every stop along the route, creating environments that align with the existing vegetation or integrating them coherently with multifunctional landscape values (aesthetic, environmental, and cultural). These interventions will generate shaded and rest areas integrated into the surrounding agricultural or natural landscape. The introduced plant species will strictly belong to the native flora and be drought-resistant, considering the harsh climatic conditions foreseeable due to global warming. The four intervention areas will differ according to the current landscape configuration and future restoration and enhancement interventions. They will also include furnishings, such as benches, tables, and bike racks, made in simple shapes and natural materials.
This project is funded by the sale of a limited edition of 300 jeroboams of Planeta Chardonnay 2024, produced in collaboration with Claire Fontaine. This is a symbolic act in the fight against fires, which threaten Sicily and many other parts of the world every year. The project will thrive in a thousand-year-old archaeological landscape, in dialogue with the agricultural landscape to which Planeta has dedicated its winemaking activities for a long time.
