In 1592 Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors already owned Casato; they would go there to hunt and would take their brides there on their honeymoon. In recent times, Casato belonged to Donatella’s grandmother and then to her mother. One day, Donatella will give Casato to her daughter Violante. Casato is on the hill crowned by the town of Montalcino. At 225 meters above sea level, it is surrounded by 18 hectares of Brunello vineyard. Since 1998 the great stone building has boasted a new name: Casato Prime Donne. It is the first winery in Italy to employ only women. The cellar staff are all women, as are those who welcome the guests, and so are those in the sales department. In 2003 the Italian Association of Sommeliers –Bibenda awards Donatella Cinelli Colombini its “Oscar” as the best Italian producer. In previous years, the award had been given to Antinori, Gaja, and Caprai; owners of larger and more famous wineries. Donatella’s winery stands as unique because of its great project, proving that high quality enology does not require muscles but brains, and women have enough of these to reach excellence. In the Casato Prime Donne winery, the barrels and barriques where the Brunello ages sit among frescoes showing the history of Montalcino, providing even a visual explanation of how the name Montalcino that comes from a tree, and why the inhabitants are called “Beccamorti” (gravediggers) … more than a thousand years of history, richly full of surprises.