Vini d’Italia // Italienischel Wein

This is a fine print reproduction of a marvelous, brightly-colored poster / map of the Wine Regions in Italy, created by Nicola Simbari, one of Italy’s most important modern artists. Published by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Trade, it is a splendid advertisement for Italy’s myriad world-class wines, with each region noted for the wine which it produces.

The map features the Italian peninsula loaded with vignettes representing their wine industry, maritime culture, extensive history, and iconic architecture. Regional boarders are outlined in a sketched design with their traditional names noted in the same color and fashion. Banners representing the wide array of wines are placed around their area of origin and are color coded by whether they are a red, white, or dessert wine. The overall design of the map is consistent with the unique and alluring style of paintings by Nicola Simbari.

Born in Calabria, Simbari grew up in Rome, where his father was an architect for the Vatican. At the age of 13, Nicola enrolled at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma and in the 1940s he began devoting himself to painting in a studio at Via del Babuino in central Rome. Geometric forms and architectural structures are incorporated in almost all of his work. He developed a distinct style which stemmed from his impressions of life, nature and the Mediterranean at an early age.