When it rains, it pours. But on Thursday night, the rainy afternoon and New York’s flash flooding cleared the way for a pleasant, breezy dinner out east. For a second year, Brunello Cucinelli linked with Wölffer Estate to host a summertime celebration in the Hamptons. The family-owned Wölffer Estate Stables set the scene for another leisurely evening of wine, Italian cuisine, and convivial conversation.
The stable-boarded horses, who occasionally popped their head out from their stables to check out the action, were the party MVPs as guests flocked to say hello. Toward the end of cocktail hour, Joey Wölffer led one of the horses around the central cobblestone area, as a live guitar duo played nearby and bartenders poured a selection of wines from the vineyards.
A tented dinner setup wasn’t the first choice, but “ sometimes things work out the way they’re supposed to,” said Wölffer, glancing toward the crowd gathered underneath the clear-top tent and canopy of twinkle lights. A three-tier fountain was the focal point, encircled by two long, curved dinner tables. “When I walked down here today, I was like — actually, it’s spectacular, and it ties the whole area together.”
Heading into the second stretch of summer, Wölffer is looking forward to more beach dinners — when the weather allows. “August is all about beach dinners with the kids and family and being together,” she said.
For Brunello Cucinelli chief executive officer Ricardo Stefanelli, the next month is all about family time in Sardinia. “ It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to me,” said Stefanelli, who flew in earlier that day for the dinner and would return the next morning. “ In Italy we all go to vacation in August. It is the month where everything slows down a little bit. We did a lot during the last two months for the presentation of collection, everything went very well. So we’re very happy and ready to go on vacation. And then the back to school [season] will come.”
The CEO underscored the brand’s strong connection to the Hamptons, which he described as “ very similar to our community in Solomeo. It’s a very small community of people that loves beauty, loves to take care of what they do and what they are. They love to give back.”
During cocktail hour Stefanelli greeted Alexandra Daddario and husband Andrew Form, glasses of Wölffer Estate sparkling rose in hand. Nearby, Sailor Brinkley was video-ing the baskets of heirloom tomatoes and cheese displays within Brunello-coded stalls. “It’s too beautiful,” said Sailor Brinkley, as she was invited to sample from the “mercato” displays. Her mother, Christie Brinkley, took up the offer, as she was handed a jar of pomodori tucked among vine-ripe tomatoes.
Other guests, dressed in a spectrum of Brunello Cucinelli’s earthy color palette, included Don Lemon, Nicky Hilton, Gabby Karan De Felice, David Burtka, Tamron Hall, Candace Bushnell, Marc Metrick, Roopal Patel, Isaac Boots, Casey Fremont, Carolyn Angel, Sharareh Siadat, and other Hamptons regulars. “I’m obsessed with these pants,” said Isaac Boot, stopping to compare his similar belted linen fit with another guest.
As dinner began with a course of a shared antipasti spread of grilled vegetables, fried sage leaves, and more, Marc Wölffer welcomed the crowd with a spirited “buonasera” before toasting to the collaboration between the two “iconic lifestyle brands.” “At first glance we might appear we’re of different worlds: fashion, wine,” he said. “But you look closer and you see that we share the same heartbeat. Both Brunello and Wölffer Estate were born from family…. We’re both grounded in heritage, and driven by innovation.”
“I feel like I’m…back in my little town in Southern Italy,” said Massimo Caronna, CEO of Brunello Cucinelli North America, gazing out at the dining setup and bubbling fountain. The dinner might have reminded Caronna of his hometown, but he’s since made the Hamptons his home, after opening Brunello’s first store out east. “People would ask me, ‘where’s your home?’” he said. “One night I looked at my wife and said, ‘I think we need to buy a house here, I feel people they want us to be part of the community.’”
Stefanelli, who’s married to Camilla Cucinelli, did his best to explain to his daughter where he was headed for the quick 24-hour trip. He summed up East Hampton as best he could: “Where the cool people go.”
