On November 18, 2016, historic winery Ruffino threw a party in its Pontassieve cellars for its new artsy bottle of Chianti.
Designed by Andy Fumagalli, an artist and famous as co-founder of band Bluvertigo with Marco Castoldi, the base of the limited edition bottle is wrapped in bands of card in shocking pink and green (two versions are available) to resemble the straw once used to enclose flasks of Chianti wine. The box features a painting of a female figure in fluorescent shades also by Fumagalli, with clear references to American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein.
The new design follows on from the ironic twist given to the “fiasco” bottle by Florence-based French artist Clet in 2014. Named “Janine”, the popular limited edition flask also sought female inspiration.
Indeed, the origins of the “fiasco” would appear to date back to the Renaissance. Its distinctive roundedness derives from the water flasks that travellers on horseback used to carry with them on their tiring journeys in the Middle Ages. Boccaccio mentioned the “fiasco” in his collection of novellas The Decameron, as too did Lorenzo the Magnificent in his correspondence. It also caught the attention of prolific artists such as Botticelli and Titian, who depicted it on their canvases.
For more information, see www.ruffino.it.
