Written by Travis Ballenger
Ferrari—the name alone connotes a sense of class and style. You imagine yourself driving fast in a sexy car down a long and windy road to a fancy Italian restaurant where you order your lover a glass of wine–Ferrari sparkling wine, to be exact. That’s what I did Monday night, well…without the fast car and on 57th Street instead. Rizzoli Bookstore, the charming smaller building in the midst of large offices on 57th Street, hosted the release party for the photography project “Altagamma Contemporary Italian Excellence,” a book featuring stunning images from some top name photographers.
The book brings together 65 of the companies under the Altagamma Foundation, which aligns high-end companies to promote Italian excellence, to demonstrate the essence and style of their brands. Drinking Ferrari at the New York release party of the book all about Italian class denotes its importance in Italian culture, fashion and design. Matteo Lunelli, Chairman of Ferrari F.illi Lunelli SpA, and recently appointed Vice President of the Food and Beverage division of Altagamma explains, “Luxury Italian products have a hugely evocative power: in the minds and hearts of global consumers they recall a feeling of tradition, a distinct sense of place, an atmosphere of inherent quality, and the poetic virtues of our way of life. Beauty and pleasure are mutual to one another and Ferrari stands with fashion and design brands as ambassadors of Italian lifestyle.” Toasting with a lovely glass of Ferrari wine, we all felt part of the rich and elegant Italian tradition of high craftsmanship and incredible artistry.
