Finally Violante can consider her dream come true and she is at last head of sales of the 170.000 bottles produced at Casato Prime Donne and at Fattoria del Colle

Violante Gardini col depliant in cinese

A small production of prestigious wines which are already today sold in restaurants and wine stores in 31 nations around the world. Violante Gardini, the Cinellicolombini Jr , faces this new challenge full of enthusiasm. She has waited nearly 10 years for this moment, preparing herself with a degree in business economics in Florence, work experience for the Movimento Turismo del vino National office, under the watchful eye of Chiara Lungarotti and most importantly the Master OIV which, for a whole year, has taken her to the universities, to the wine producing regions and to the wine markets that are most important all over the world.

Brazilian sommeliers together with Roberto Rabachino, and wine lovers from Germany together with the 1998 world champion and Master of Wine Markus Del Monego

Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino Donatella and Brazialian women in wine

Among the Brazilians who visited us there were some super VIP’s who had arrived with their own private jet such as Deunir Luiz Argenta owner of the first winery and the most beautiful cellars in Brazil “Argenta”. Guided by Roberto Rabachino and his wife Gladys Torres, two forces of nature, able to divulge the wine culture and spread enthusiasm. Rabachino teaches, for the Università di Torino, these aspiring Brazilian tasters. He is one of the great thinking minds of FISAR an association of sommeliers that in the Siena region has one of the “Historical leaders “  Nicola Masielllo. FISAR sommeliers served, with their usual elegance, the wines during the tasting and a light faming-style snack served in the Casato Prime Donne hall. A wonderful meeting for the making of new friends and the final promise of a” wine makers Exchange” between Violante Gardini, the Cinellicolombini Jr, and a contemporary Brazilian producer who will each spend some time in the others winery.

On Sunday May 26th great wines, great music and great images from the land of Brunello at Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s winery for a “sensorial” Cantine Aperte-Wine day

Montalcino, Casato Prime Donne winery Wine Day 2013

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, who in 1993 invented Cantine Aperte, has decided to renew the formula for the visit among the barrels, transforming it into an experience which exalts and comments wine with sounds, images and obviously tastes. The sound track studied by Bonella Ciacci – a sort of expert in wine and music accompanies 8 wines divided in three tasting spots.

We are at Casato Prime Donne, on the Montalcino hills, facing Siena, and this is where the wine and music trail is. First stop dedicated to Chianti and Doc Orcia from Fattoria del Colle, Donatella’s other winery. Here the music is contemporary Italian pop from the area such as Baustelle, Gianna Nannini and Jovanotti. The next stop in the Vineyard and the vinification areas called tinaia del vento built to produce Brunello with autochthonous yeasts.

Bruce Sanderson the super wine taster for Wine Spectator has awarded the “enticing” Brunello Riserva 2007 from Casato Prime Donne with 94/100

Brunello Riserva 2007 rated 94/100 from Wine Spectator

The prestigious wine magazine “Wine Spectator” is a sort of bible for those who sell, collect or only drink great wines all over the world. Its authoritativeness depends on the level of its tasters who are all great experts absolutely impervious to any external influences. It for this reason, to guarantee this distance, that Brunello also is tasted in New York where the Consorzio sends, every years, nearly a thousand bottles coming from all of the member wineries. This rating of 94/100 for the Brunello Riserva is excellent and has filled Donatella Cinelli Colombini with joy and pride.

This is what Bruce Sanderson head of the Wine Spectator tasting commission

Brunello Riserva 2007 from Casato Prime Donne

wrote regarding the.
94/100 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2007
<<A deft use of oak adds spice and roundness to this bright, cherry and plum-laced Brunello. There’s a beam of acidity maintaining focus as the fruit melds into dense, burly tannins. Needs time to integrate, but this remains enticing. Best from 2015 through 2030>>.

Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

This recipe from Buonconvento, a village on the road that connects Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino (10 km) and Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda (25km)

Recipe coming from Tuscany with tripe

This comes from a small booklet hand written by housewives, where all the domestic knowledge learnt from their grandmothers is recorded. The recipes are easy, quick and very tasty.

Buonconvento is along the Roman Via which in Medieval times became the Via Francigena. It was a fortified village with spectacular wall where one stopped, for armies, merchants, pilgrims and even kings. In 1313 the Imperatore Arrigo VII died here, and, according to the legend, he was poisoned in the convent with a consecrated host from here the saying <<Buonconvento e cattivi frati>> ( Good convent bad friars) which has pursued the Buonconvento inhabitants– buonconventini, also called granocchiai or nebbiaioli – to this day and age

Ingredients for the tripe

Boiled mixed tripe, grated rind of half a lemon, an onion, pureed peeled tomatoes, grated Parmigiano, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper