Brunello and futurist poetry with Tommaso Marinetti

It was 1935, Italy was at the height of the fascist era and the National Exhibition of Typical Wines was being held at the Enoteca Italiana in Siena. This was the backdrop of a “Bacchic, Love and War Poetry” contest, with an exceptional panel of judges chaired by the founder of Futurism, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. During the gala dinner in honour of the winner, the poet Lorenzo Viani, Marinetti improvised a full-fledged artistic performance. He climbed on a table, raised his glass and shouted: “Brunello is fuel”. A famous phrase that included the principle product of Montalcino amongst the great wines, and through which the king of Sangiovese became “the fuel that makes the world go round”.