Enosis

Fubine, Italy - 2005

In the Monferrato area of Piedmont , a new door has opened on international winemaking. Those that in the past were the new frontiers of "the art of producing and storing wines” have been overcome thanks to a single name, that of ENOSIS (from the Greek word meaning "the meeting place where people discuss wines”), a service and research centre which merits the epithet of "wine university”. Enosis stands among the hills of Fubine, a village close to Cuccaro, in a seventeenth-century farmhouse known by the name of "Meraviglia”, converted into a highly modern facility by Donato Lanati, world-famed wine expert who will be 52 years old in December. Among the centuries-old bricks, high-tech tools, virtual caves, "psychedelic” labs, conference halls and robots of all types, "the wines of tomorrow have been created, those of today have been finished and those of yesterday have been improved”. Lanati relies on the cooperation and support of a team of about twenty researchers, including chemists, biologists, agronomists, nutritionists and some of the most important representatives of the world of development and production of Italian wine. Hundreds of people took part in the opening of the "service and research centre for winemaking and development” with many VIPS and authorities also in attendance.

French actress Carole Bouquet, for example, was there with Jacques Polge, the most experienced "nose” sent directly from Maison Chanel. Then there were nutritionists and artists of the art of making wine, including Giorgio Calabrese and Paolo Massobrio. Music, culinary specialities and even a mime show of "Alice in Wonderland” accompanied the event throughout the day. However, the unquestionable key player was the building itself with its ancient and well-preserved architecture, despite the fact that the interiors are hyper-futuristic.

The lighting system was provided by the Fubine-based company Space Cannon. Innovative LED technology was used for the entire structure and re-creates lighting scenarios which emphasise the architectural details of the historical building.
Enosis can also be seen from a distance as the system changes colour and causes it to stand out against the dark surrounding countryside.

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