Michele Ciarlo "Wine, Transformed into Art"
Artist Park Seon-gi Releases 'Art Label' Wine
"Michele Chiarlo strives to ensure that wine is not merely a product to be consumed, but can be completed as a work of art."
The Italian Piedmont representative winery 'Michele Chiarlo' has teamed up with artist Park Seon-gi, known for his unique and captivating installation works, to introduce two limited-edition 'Art Label' wines exclusively in Korea. As value consumption?actively consuming and supporting brands and products that reflect one’s values?has become a defining consumption trend of the era, attempts to fully embody a brand’s value and philosophy are actively underway across all industries. The wine industry is also quickly responding to this trend by continuously launching art label wines that combine wine and artworks.
(From left) Choi Jun-seon, Lotte Department Store sommelier, Park Seon-gi, writer, and Adam Verona, Michele Ciarlo global export manager, are taking a commemorative photo after an interview with Asia Economy.
Wine Meets Art... "Increasing Accessibility Through Art Wine"
Michele Chiarlo’s recent art label wine project was planned to create art wines in collaboration with an artistically inclined winery to approach consumers more familiarly, carried out through cooperation between the distributor Lotte Department Store and the importer Kumyang International. Choi Jun-seon, sommelier at Lotte Department Store who led the project, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, "As a sommelier, the most important thing was undoubtedly finding high-quality wines."
Sommelier Choi explained, “To find a winery to collaborate with, I attended ‘Vin Italy,’ one of the world’s top three wine expos, and tasted wines from various wineries. I was immediately captivated by Michele Chiarlo’s strong character,” adding, “Since Michele Chiarlo was already famous as an artistically sensitive and art-friendly winery, I thought we could tell an interesting story.”
Founded in 1956 by founder Michele Chiarlo who named the winery after himself, Michele Chiarlo is one of the representative wineries in Italy’s Piedmont region, currently operated as a family business through three generations. Starting with just 2 hectares (ha), the winery now cultivates grapes such as Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cortese, and Moscato across 120ha of vineyards. It is a member of 'Grandi Marchi,' an association exclusive to premium Italian wine brands. Michele Chiarlo’s wines are exported to 69 countries worldwide, with Korea being the largest export market in Asia.
Since the 1980s, Michele Chiarlo has been continuing artistic activities by presenting art label series that capture beautiful landscapes and history on their labels. Adam Verona, global export manager, explained, “We collaborate with various artists not only to produce art labels but also to integrate wineries and art through activities such as art parks and art museums,” adding, “We developed an art park guide application for visitors, creating an environment where they can enjoy artworks alongside wine.”
The selection of the artist was led primarily by Lotte Department Store’s Art Content Office. Park Seon-gi, born in 1966 in Seonsan, Gyeongbuk, is well known for his works that suspend charcoal in the air to express various images. Having studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, Italy, he has deep ties with Italy. Among Park’s works familiar to the public are the massive chandelier 'An Aggregation 130121' made of over 50,000 acrylic beads in the lobby of the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, and 'An Aggregation 180609' at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido.
In his works, charcoal symbolizes the natural cyclical image of the last stage of a tree’s life and the starting point of fire. For this art label, Park used two drawing works, ‘Miami’ and ‘Flowerpot,’ which embody this natural cyclical meaning. He said, “When I received the proposal, it reminded me of my study abroad days, so I found it very interesting and welcoming,” adding, “Since it was a new type of work, I approached it with enthusiasm and actively engaged.” He also explained the background of the work selection, saying, “Because the works made of charcoal carry the theme of nature and the meaning of cycles, they resonate with wine.”
Introducing Two Varieties, Piedmont’s Pride ‘Barolo’ and ‘Gavi’
The wines introduced through this project are two types: ‘Michele Chiarlo Barolo DOCG’ and ‘Michele Chiarlo Gavi DOCG.’ Barolo, made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape with high acidity and tannins and a light color, is a full-bodied dry wine historically known as the ‘King of Piedmont Wines.’ Michele Chiarlo Barolo DOCG also allows one to experience the transformation of Nebbiolo’s distinctive strong texture into an elegant one through aging.
Manager Verona explained, “Making Barolo from grapes grown in a single vineyard is a modern method since the 1960s,” adding, “This wine was made in the traditional way by blending grapes from three different vineyards, each with its own character.” Barolo must be aged for at least 38 months, of which 18 months must be in oak barrels.
Michele Chiarlo Gavi DOCG is a white wine made from the Cortese grape, characterized by delicate and fragrant green apple and white flower aromas enjoyed with fresh acidity. Sommelier Choi said, “Cortese is a grape variety with high acidity, allowing one to fully appreciate its fresh taste,” adding, “To maintain this acidity properly, we conducted 20% oak aging and limited ‘sur lies’ contact?lees contact?for about two months to achieve a good balance for pairing with food.”
Meanwhile, Manager Verona emphasized that the launch of art label wines could rekindle interest in the domestic wine market, which has recently slowed down, and serve as a driving force for continued growth. He said, “Wine can actually feel a bit difficult,” but “that is why continuous communication in various ways is important, and art wine is one form of such communication.” He predicted, “If we continuously inform consumers about the enjoyment that wine and wine culture offer, the market can continue its growth.”
Michele Chiarlo art label wines are sold at Lotte Department Stores nationwide, with only 3,000 bottles available per wine.
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