Domus Artium Reserve clubhouse at Palazzo Ruspoli
The lavish interior of Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome: the location of the Domus Artium Reserve clubhouse.
(Image credit: Palazzo Ruspoli)

Plans for the new fine wine and gastronomic members’ club Domus Artium Reserve were unveiled at one-Michelin-star Cracco restaurant in Milan late last month.

Key figures in the project include celebrated chefs Carlo Cracco, Yannik Allenò from the eponymous three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, plus Thomas Keller, multi-Michelin-starred chef and owner of three-star restaurant The French Laundry in Napa Valley.

They plan to produce a joint Franco-Italian wine named ‘Four Hands’ to mark the occasion, with Rolland and Keller also collaborating to create a Bordeaux wine.

Membership to Domus Artium Reserve is by invitation only, and the new club aims promote the very best of wine and food culture at a level of authenticity not easily accessible even for those with high economic means.

It is the brainchild of Barrett Wissman, former musician and chairman emeritus of IMG Artists, who has previously organised prestigious events in Italy, including the Tuscan Sun Festival and the Taormina Film Festival.

Wissman has partnered with wine and tech entrepreneur Gregory Salinger, founder of wine ecommerce platform Chateau Online, to make his vision a reality.

Domus Artium Reserve’s member activities unfold on several levels.

The club’s core activity will be its permanent clubhouse at Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome. Members will also have access to 67 Pall Mall club facilities at its venues in London, Melbourne, Singapore and Bordeaux.

Secondly, Domus Artium Reserve will curate events – overseen by leading wine journalist Antonio Galloni – aimed at connecting the worlds of cinema, wine, and haute cuisine.

Wissman said the first event will take place this summer. ‘In three months, we will start with the club itself. There will be a first party in the summer, while in a month or six weeks at most, two or three important figures will already be arriving.’

The former musician remained reserved, but he couldn’t keep the name of actor Robert Redford under wraps.

Wissman said he envisages events, dinners, tastings, tours, masterclasses and concerts to be among the offerings available exclusively for members.

A final aspect of Domus Artium Reserve’s activities involves the production of wine by the two famed winemakers.

The idea is to give prominent public figures the opportunity to produce their own wine alongside Cotarella and Rolland every year, with an in-house design team helping to create personalised labels.

‘Celebrities are aware of the risks of investing in a very traditional sector like wine business, and that the risk of failure behind the production of a wine is just around the corner for them,’ Wissman said.

‘With Domus Artium Reserve, we want to contribute to creating the conditions for authentic projects.’

Cotarella said, ‘I thought I had seen everything in the wine world, from the desert to northern Japan, but I never imagined such an interesting project.’

The club’s website was launched on the day of the presentation in Milan, along with details of the two bespoke wine ranges, and how to register for an allocation:

  • Thomas Keller x Michael Rolland from Bordeaux ($1,380 per 6x75cl)
  • ‘Four Hands’ 50% Italian, 50% French wine made by Riccardo Cotarella and Michel Rolland ($3,650 per 6x75cl)
Aldo Fiordelli
Aldo Fiordelli
Decanter Magazine, Italian Expert and DWWA Judge

Aldo Fiordelli is an Italian wine critic, journalist and wine writer.  He has published four books about food, wine and art and is a regular Decanter contributor.

In Italy he is an editorial board member of L’Espresso restaurant and wine guide (one of Italy’s most prominent) since 2004.  He also writes for Corriere della sera in Florence, as well as Civiltà del Bere (Italy’s oldest Italian wine magazine).

A certified sommelier since 2003, he is currently a 2nd stage student at the Institute of the Masters of Wine.

In 2017 he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.

Aldo joined DWWA for the first time as a judge in 2019.