Brother wine, sister light

Primordial elements and bounty of the earth come to the fore at Tenuta Soave, on the hills near Verona. Wine, produced with passion by the Pieropan estate, and light, tamed by the mastery of Catellani & Smith

Tenuta Soave, Soave, Italy
Tenuta Soave, Soave, Italy

For the Pieropan family, owners of the historic winery of the same name, Tenuta Soave is “a case of renewal in line with tradition.” Set completely into the hillside near Verona, with the exception of the façade, the architectural design was done by Moreno Zurlo in 2015, bearing witness to a long heritage of winemaking, starting from the raw materials.

The exterior of the building is surrounded by vineyards, some of which play an experimental role to stimulate the sharing of knowledge. A narrative that continues inside, in striking spaces set up in perfect harmony with the phases of production. Like the barrel cellar, the heart of the estate, and the tasting room, enhanced by technical light customized by Catellani & Smith. In the large underground area, the concrete presence of the fruits of the earth is joined by the impalpable consistency of light for an effect of great charm and emotional impact.

The orderly rows of barriques set the tempo and draw the gaze into the depths of the space, where the installation Luna Piena, made for the site, delicately stands out against the darkness, with its gold leaf cladding on a diameter of 240 cm. This perspective view is reinforced by the suspension lamps, made with an indented dome in hues of gold and copper, and in two different diameters (80 and 120 cm), supporting a micro-LED. The result is a setting of gentle impact, composed of reflections and shadows.

As a reminder of the fact that history is a fundamental factor for looking forward, the family’s motto “the future has an ancient heart” stands out on one of the walls of the room, thanks to an LED projection through a coated laser-cut iron element, covered in gold leaf on the inside.

The tasting room has a different character, open to the surrounding nature thanks to large windows, to accompany the breathing of the freshly uncorked wine. In these spaces, the Lederam C180 model reflects the light, spreading it softly in a bright halo on the ceiling. The refraction is produced by the LED module housed inside the brass-color lower disk, which ‘looks’ towards a larger white screen.

The spaces are completed by the Lederam F2 series of floor lamps, with a height of about 200 cm, composed of two metal posts, each supporting an adjustable aluminium disk, again covered in gold-color leaf.