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News
Ornellaia auction funds renaissance art restoration
A salmanazar of Ornellaia 2006 with a specially-commissioned label fetched €17,000 at the Gelardini & Romani auction house on Saturday.
The nine-litre bottle featured the work of Luigi Ontani, one of Italy’s leading contemporary artists, and the proceeds of the sale will fund the restoration of an Italian renaissance painting.
Luigi Ontani designed and personally signed the labels of a very limited series of large size bottles of Ornellaia 2006, from nine to three litres.
The bottle sold on Saturday was purchased by Giorgio Pinchiorri, owner of Enoteca Pinchiorri, a three Michelin star restaurant in Florence which is famous for its wine collection.
The €17,000 raised is being donated entirely to the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan to fund the restoration of Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Previtali’s "Ritratto D’Uomo – Memento Mori" (1502), as well as support the activities of the Milanese museum.

The sale is part of the long-term Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista project which Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia has undertaken to re-establish the Renaissance concept of patronage.
“Vendemmia D’Artista is an ambitious project we have many hopes for, in terms of re-establishing Renaissance patronage in a contemporary way,” says Giovanni Geddes da Filicaia, CEO of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia.
"Our goal is to link art and wine to support the artistic heritage in Italy and in other parts of the world.
“This result shows that Ornellaia is on the right path, and provides the necessary motivation to move forward with renewed enthusiasm.”
Patrick Schmitt, 15.10.09