Soldera’s accusations towards the Consorzio and its Brunello producers published in “Corriere della Sera” are fantasy and can do a lot of damage

View of Montalcino

The nastiest thing is the accusing the Consorzio of having <<proposed a fraud, offering wine from others to be bottled as his own>>. This is ridiculous, the producers wanted to give him part of their production to help him in a difficult moment, creating a “Brunello della solidarietà” a Solidary Brunello and this is his reply? Is he not ashamed?

He creates doubts, talks of mysteries, when the only mystery is how miraculously barrel sand barrels of his precious Brunello have suddenly reappeared. At least 350 Hl it seems, not a demijohn ….at least 5 barrels for 50Hl, as the “Corriere della Sera” talks of 7.000 bottles per year. But hadn’t the vandalic act destroyed all of his wine? Are we maybe at the wedding at Cana?
Soldera accuses the Consorzio because it does not invest in the studies of control systems regarding the pureness of the Sangiovese for Brunello, but that is not true! The Consorzio has invested about 150.000 € in these studies, entrusting the to the major wine research centre in Italy, the one found in San Michele all’Adige. The researchers, directed by Prof. Mattivi have discovered a method of investigation and the Consorzio will present it during the next convention.

BrunelloPrimeDonne2008

The most important project at Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wineries is dedicated to women and is finalized at increasing their dignity and their role in the wine world.

The Prime Donne project is made up of four parts: the Casato Prime Donne winery, the first in Italy with an all female staff, created so as to demonstrate that great wines don’t need big muscles but intelligence, tenacity and passion, things of which women have more than enough of.

Enthusiastic, imaginative, tough, idealist, strong willed, glutton …. I created Cantine aperte, Wineday, I am the defender of women in wineries and of the superstar Brunello

Donatella Cinelli Colombini holding Sangiovese

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini grape-grower in Montalcino

I hate doing sport, I prefer to read or watch a classical ballet on the web. I would like to eat chocolate, salmon, Parmigiano and spaghetti but they are things that are not good for me….I don’t give up though, I enjoy good food too much
When I was councillor in Siena I was called “tank” because I faced projects with great Energy, maybe too much. One of my defects is in fact the lack of half measures, if I believe in an idea I fight for it.
I am embarrassingly lucky and even the most incredible projects have a happy ending.

The Tuscan wine making regions, especially Montalcino, attract people with immense fortunes who want to see their name on dream bottles

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The castle of Colle Massari winery

Next door to Casato Prime Donne a property has been bought by Alejandro Pedro Bulgheroni Argentinean billionaire from the petrol sector with investments al lover the world and vineyards in Argentina, Uruguay and California. We expect him to transform the present rural buildings, in front of us, into a villa with heliport.

The new owner of Argiano, still in the Brunello area, is a Brazilian indicated by Forbes as one of the 300 richest men in the world. He has fallen in love with the splendid 16th century villa built according to a project by Baldassarre Peruzzi – a sort of Tuscan Chateau – and with the noble history of this location where, among others, Foscolo, Carducci, D’Annunzio and Zolà have stayed.

Glamorous, rural, traditional and new….. here’s Benvenuto Brunello 2013 in front of and behind the scenes

Young producers for Benvenuto Brunello 2013

Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Certainly the 135 wineries present have brought some excellent Brunello 2008 which are immediately enjoyable. Some say that they are so good now that they will not age well, I am convinced that that is not true, and that these have been vinified better that in the past and so consequently will last decades, or event centuries.

I do not wish to talk about the wines, if not to say that mine – from Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino – have been liked by all (were you expecting me to say the contrary?)- instead I would like to tell you some curiosities. First of all the Gala party in the cloister in Sant’Agostino. 50 tables with a mirror surface and chandeliers one meter high in transparent Plexiglas. Tablecloths, serviettes, seat covers, water glasses and even the cutlery all black. In other words quite a Hollywood style that however gave a glamorous touch to our usual restrained Montalcino manner. Those present at Benvenuto Brunello for the first time actually goggled, like Federico Castellucci Direttore generale OIV who said << you have nothing to envy from the French, these evening is fantastic>> and then in a whisper –I was not expecting anything of this level, I wish to compliment you.!-