The smallest vineyard in the world: bottles at 5,000 euros

The day of May 25 is known as ‘International Wine Day’, where people around the world celebrate the delicious grape juice that is produced across the globe.

It’s never too late to realise that ‘International Wine Day’ exists, and everyone above the legal drinking age can choose to celebrate. Wine has been a huge part of human list for thousands of years, and the modern era has never seen so much production and innovation when it comes to the drink.

Here, we’re going to explore the world’s smallest vineyard, located in perhaps the number one wine country in the world...

Where is the world’s smallest vineyard?

Run by Tullio Masoni, the world’s smallest vineyard is located atop a 16th-century palazzo in the heart of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. The town, famous for being the birthplace of the Italian national flag, the “tricolore”, Reggio Emilia lies in a region celebrated for producing some of Italy’s most famous exports, including supercar brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

As for Masoni, as well as making his name as a wine extraordinaire, he is also a highly respected entrepreneur, art collector, and former investment banker.

How much does a bottle of wine cost at Reggio Emilia?

A bottle of the famous wine costs €5,000 ($5,400) however, he does not want his customers to drink the product, but treasure it. Masoni grows his grapes on the roof of Via Mari 10. A special site in Italy, back in 1859 it was visited by Giuseppe Garibaldi, the revolutionary who helped unify Italy.

The vineyard measures just over 200 square feet and puts out only 29 bottles of red wine a year, all of which Masoni then prices at the aforementioned number.

Unfortunately, even if you wanted a bottle, and could afford one, it’s not going to happen: the bottles aren’t sold in a wine shop, but in a nearby art gallery named Bonioni Arte.

‘My wine is a form of artistic expression’

“My father was into winemaking,” Masoni told CNN. “I inherited an actual vineyard in the countryside around Reggio Emilia, but when I looked at the books, I realised I’d have spent more money on it than I’d have made – so I sold it.”

“However, 20 years later I regretted it, so I made myself a pocket-size vineyard. My wine is a form of artistic expression, a philosophical provocation, something to keep in your living room so you can chat about it with your friends and tell them about the lunatic who put a vineyard on his rooftop.”

“If you see a bicycle wheel in a living room rather than a repair shop, you realise how beautiful it is,” Masoni concluded. “My vineyard is like that: It’s unexpected; it stimulates the brain; it sparks new thoughts.”