Donatella Cinelli Colombini, puts into practice new wine tourism

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, puts into practice new wine tourism

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, once again innovator, offers “tailor-made” wine experiences to satisfy the different types of wine tourists post-covid

 

WINE TOURISTS ARE NOT ALL THE SAME AND DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME DESIRES

Donatella Cinelli Colombini, who invented the Cantine Aperte event and teaches wine hospitality in  master courses, also knows that wine tourists are a small army made up of people with different profiles and expectations: there are those who are just intrigued, true enthusiasts and Brunello lovers , there are the insatiable eager for extraordinary exclusivity, but there is also those who want to spend their free time learning in a playful way. Wine tourists have changed compared to 2019, when no one knew about Covid, and above all they now want different things. Today, those who arrive in the wine territories are hunting  foe emotions and  want to immerse themselves in a pesticide-free countryside, cultivated by those who are passionate, traditionalists but also willing to share.

<< To this diversified multitude the vast majority of Italian wineries offer only one type of experience: visit between vats and barrels with an explanation of the production processes and tasting >> says Donatella << This is wrong>>.

 

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: 4 EXPERIENCES FOR TOURISTS IN BRUNELLO

Here Cinelli Colombini moves from theory to practice and instead of just writing manuals on wine tourism, has decided to lead by example by designing 8 experiences for visitors in her wineries Casato Prime Donne in Brunello and Fattoria del Colle, in Chianti and in the Doc Orcia. Many of the tastings are accompanied by small samples of pecorino, extra virgin olive oil from the farm and unsalted Tuscan bread, therefore without salt.
4 proposals for those who arrive in Montalcino driven by different curiosities: some know little or nothing about wine and know Brunello almost only by hearsay. In this case, there is a simpler experience at a lower price. Then there are two proposals for wine lovers always looking for new emotions and new knowledge about Brunello: the first more focused on tasting – from the barrel to the great vintages – the second more unusual was studied by the Sommelier musician Igor Vazzaz, an itinerant tasting associated with music. Finally, there is something truly unique where Donatella has decided to personally participate. It includes the tasting of her most exclusive limited-edition Brunello, accompanied by cheeses that have won international awards.

 

CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO

The four proposals are made in a truly special place: the vineyards are certified BIO (organic) and Casato Prime Donne is the first Italian winery with a staff of women only.

It exports to 41 foreign countries and produces wines with very high ratings in the international press. Visitors find something different with respect to  other Brunello wineries: among the barrels there are paintings that tell the noble history of Montalcino and the fermentation vats are also used as screens  to project images of the local tradition while listening to local sounds and songs. This wealth of charming ideas makes Casato Prime Donne unique, where visitors also find artistic installations and quotes by great female characters such as astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the captain of the Italian football team Sara Gama and virologist Ilaria Capua.

 

4 EXAMPLES OF WINE EXPERIENCES FOR GREEN ENTHUSIASTS

The context changes at Fattoria del Colle although Donatella’s two wineries are only 35 km from one another. It is a small hamlet that has miraculously remained authentic. In the centre the villa and the chapel built in 1592 surrounded by the old farmhouses transformed into rooms and apartments for tourists. There is a restaurant, banquet hall, cooking school, natural wellness area, 3 swimming pools, 4 parks and of course the DOC Orcia, Chianti Superiore and Supertuscan cellar. An ideal place for a day in the countryside. Here, too, the vineyards are certified BIO. There are photo safaris, hiking in the vineyards and of course the opportunity to taste typical dishes such as pinci with aglione sauce, pappardelle dressed in duck sauce, Chianina beef steak… whilst admiring a breath-taking landscape.

 

FATTORIA DEL COLLE IN THE DOC ORCIA-THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WINE IN THE WORLD

At Fattoria del Colle too there are four experiences with wine and, even here, those with different interests and expectations are catered for. For tourists wishing to relax, those who like to discover the secrets of an authentic Tuscan farm with 400 years of history, there is a guided tour that ends with a wine tasting. A proposal on Sangiovese is intended for enthusiasts with the instinct of talent scouts which includes a visit to the cellars with the room that teaches to listen to the vineyards and ends with a tasting dedicated to Sangiovese wines  obtained in different places or from different production processes such as Sangiovese Spumante metodo classico. For wine lovers who want to test themselves by creating their own Supertuscan there is the “Little Enologist” a “winemaker experience” that looks like a game but teaches a lot about the balance between the components of wine and allows participants to create their own “Supertuscan”. Finally, something really super: a masterclass for lovers of Sangiovese and Brunello with two hours of lessons and two hours of technical visit regarding the king of Tuscan vines: history, specificity of vineyards and territories, legends and tasting of 4 Tuscan DOCGs, including Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico.