The winner is Italo-Swiss, Paolo Basso , but in second position is Véronique Rivest, the first woman to have ever got onto the world Sommelier podium

Véronique Rivest and the other best sommerlier in the world

Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The XIV edition of the world championship took place in Tokyo, in the Japan where some Sommeliers – real or cartoon – are acclaimed by hoards of enthusiastic fans as if they were film stars. It was organized by the Association de la Sommelerie Internationale which groups together 60 international organizations of professionals.
Veronique took part as shed had been elected Best Sommelier of the Americas 2012.
For the first selection on March 27th, 54 candidates took part with written and service trials.

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.

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

Lady importers, journalists, managers, these can tell us about the future of Italian wines in China: lots of problems and certainty, e-commerce

Female wine managers all together

Stevie Kim, managing director of Vinitaly International, placed around a table 4 lady importers, two lady journalists, and the lady author of the study regarding the trend of wine imported into China.
8 women who are opinion makers in their own nations. This took place in Shanghai and the results were very interesting. According to them Italian wine must use the web to get into the Chinese market.

Linda Wu (journalist for vinehoo.com), Joanne Jiang (general manager Cuve International Trade), Lu Zhang (general manager Innex China), Sophie Liu (author, journalist, wine critic), Emma Tang (marketing manager Iking winery), Cin Xu (importer for Shanghai Chuxiao Trade).