In Naples, Italy, the Grand Hotel hosts an annual “Wine & The City” exhibition which celebrates the Italian tradition of wine and entertainment.  The exhibition features wine from Italy’s 14 regions, a culinary chef competition of food and wine pairings, and it exhibits object d’arte.

Out of this year’s exhibition, a series from GUMDESIGN included marble and crystal decanter sets for wine, liqueurs, and cocktails. The series is created in partnership with two of Italy’s leading companies, Cusenza Marmi and ColleVilca. Collevilca is a historic Italian crystal company located in the heart of Italy’s wine country in Tuscany, the Tuscan region is considered the crystal capital of Italy boasting more than 800 years of glass and crystal stemwear. Cusenza Marmi is a marble craftsmanship company that produces functional marble objects for interior and exterior home design, from swimming pools and fountains to bath tubs and kitchen sinks.

The 8-piece collection is made from Ivory marble from the city of Segesta, Italy. Each piece is made in the Cusenza Marmi factory. The glass bottles are blown directly in the marble basins ensuring a perfect fit.  The technique eliminates waste and manages costs of the molds. The functional use of marble allows the liquid to retain it’s temperature. Wines and liquids decanted into the crystal bottles, and chilled for colder temperatures, can be brought directly from the refrigerator to the table.

The design collaboration idea was to create a contemporary decanter series that is functional, artistic and beautiful. The series has won design awards and is currently touring interiors and marble festivals in Italy including the recent Fiera Internazionale del Marmo di Verona last month.

The series is available for sale online at the Gumdesign website.