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News from Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle, territory, comments on the world of wine, events and wine personalities

21 July 2020

CAFFE’ IN FORCHETTA, A MONTALCINO DESSERT

This is a delicious dessert born at the beginning of the 20th century in Montalcino. It is called “caffè in forchetta” (coffee with a fork) but, in truth, it is eaten with a spoon

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

It is a Liberty-style dessert, an era when cafés became an important place in social life. In Montalcino, like in Venice or Turin, the local public places in the centre were re-qualified and enriched with velvet and mirrors so as to be able to welcome the bourgeois clients. These in Montalcino, the city of Brunello, comprised those who were noble, academics, business men, landowners and even a few artists.

CAFFE’ IN FORCHETTA IN MONTALCINO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20th CENTURY

Caffè in forchetta of Montalcino Tuscany Fattoria del Colle

Montalcino has always, in fact, had a diversified social structure, cultured and open minded. Regardless of this liveliness the lifestyle of the women was controlled and certainly not as casual as in Paris. In particular, women were criticized if they drank coffee, it was considered too audacious. For this reason a cream caramel was invented where to the milk was added to coffee. This way it was possible to serve coffee to the ladies without it seeming so. This dessert was quite a success and was served in all homes, until like everything else it was no longer fashionable. I published a booklet called “66 ricette di cucina montalcinese” where the fine oral Montalcinese gastronomy was transcribed. This brought back into use the caffè in forchetta that is now once again very present in the restaurant menus in the Brunello territory.
Here it is. It is a simple dessert quite apt to sweetly conclude a meal.

15 July 2020

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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My Brunello 1970’s style

For the last 7 years Casato Prime Donne has worked, in the vines and in the cellar to bring Brunello back to the original style of the 1970’s: elegant, vertical and with long ageing potential

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Montalcino Brunello Casato Prime Donne – Family pictures Cinelli Colombini

I became aware of this thing gradually. Like a teenager that at the beginning refuses the past, then follows trends, until he or she takes on their own personality and understand which route to follow.

Such a confession might sound strange from someone like me, someone who grew up among Brunello barrels, but who, when I left my family estate in 1998 really had trouble in understanding what I wanted and to live off memories without suffering and allowing them to inspire me.

THE 1970’S BRUNELLO AND DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S DREAM

For the last seven years at Casato Prime Donne, we have been working on a Brunello that is “identitary”, one that can tell about the varietal and the terroir. Slowly I have understood that I was going in the opposite direction, I was going towards the Brunello as it was in the 1970’s, the original one.

The Sangiovese from Montalcino grown by my grandfather Giovanni Colombini, first alone and then with my mother Francesca united pleasantness and longevity, elegance and character. The cooler climate in those days permitted the production of great Brunello only in the excellent harvest and only in soil with many rocks able to drain they rainfall. Today the climate changes have multiplied the good and excellent vintages but they fore us to search for water in depth and also to work very hard in protecting the grapes from the sun and keep a certain balance in the vines.

HOW TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STYLE OF BRUNELLO

Brunello di Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

The “1970’s style project” is progressing well and some results are already evident especially in the vintage Brunello “but we will need another 10 years to conclude it: we want to graft the new vines just planted and to increase the number of barrels that contain 15hl ”.

8 July 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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The Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle wineries reopen

The Casato Prime Donne winery in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in the Doc Orcia region become a green wine destination

Fattoria del Colle - Italian garden style with lemon trees

Fattoria del Colle – Italian style garden with lemon trees

Wine and tourism out in the open. A formula born by necessity because of social distancing due to Covid-19. Come to live a new wine experience. Discover the vegetative cycle of the vine, the soil, the grape varieties and most of all the panorama. For instance the landscape here becomes a protagonist of outdoor toasts and wine tastings.

CASATO PRIME DONNE WINE TOUR IN THE BRUNELLO VINEYARD

Casato Prime Donne a Montalcino is open also on Saturday afternoons from now on. It proposes a tour with an itinerant tasting of Rosso, Brunello di Montalcino and Brunello Riserva. It is possible to see some of the organic Sangiovese vineyards and also where the wine ages in barrel and vinifies (at least from outside).

There will be explanations regarding the vintages of Brunello in front of the Calendar with the stars. It will be possible to interact with some of the modern art installations. There is the selfie frame, or Punti di Vista and the Modernacolo created for Carla Fendi. The tour lasts about an hour and is very engaging.
Just one request: it is necessary to book beforehand.

Casato Prime Donne – Brunello Calendar

FATTORIA DEL COLLE MANY PROPOSALS FOR STAYS AND DAILY ACTIVITIES

It is important to register before leaving home also for stays at Fattoria del Colle . Here the activities proposed to guests are many and diverse because the farm is like a small hamlet for the 16th century surrounded by vineyards and olive groves with a splendid panorama of the Crete Senesi and the Valdorcia.
Stays in apartments, rooms and villas, typical traditional meals matched with wines, cookery lessons, hiking and vineyard trails, guided tours and wine tastings…all well organized in every detail to offer guests experiences and small discoveries.
For this reason Fattoria del Colle should be considered a wine destination where it is possible to spend a holiday or a day out in the open air with some fine wines.

1 July 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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We are open, come and have dinner at Fattoria del Colle

Dining is a cultural experience other than being a great pleasure. At Fattoria del Colle it becomes a melody of flavours, images and great wines

Pears cooked in wine – Fattoria del Colle Restaurant

Donatella Cinelli Colombini has collected recipes from housewives in and around Trequanda even before opening the Fattoria del Colle. For the same reason, she has a vegetable garden with lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, Aglione … as well as tarragon, and many types of mint, sage and rosemary …

FINE WINES OF CASATO PRIME DONNE AND FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE

Obviously the strong point of the Fattoria del Colle restaurant is that the wine comes from the two wineries: Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and the same farm where we make the Chianti Superiore, Supertuscan and Doc Orcia Cenerentola, the latter is becoming a real star in the wine world. The wine list is made up of around 15 preferences including a sparkling wine, a white and a rosé. Those who might think that using wine as a restaurant’s key strength, do not consider that the menu has been constructed to exalt the flavours in the glass and that it is possible to change the wine matched to each dish or something really extraordinary, choose a Brunello vertical tasting selecting from 23 vintages and more than 50 labels between Brunello Riserva, Prime Donne selection and regular Brunello.

Farmhouse-in-Tuscany-Restaurant-Fattoria-del-Colle

If the notes from the glass were not to be sufficient, there are always the explanations from the staff or from the chef Alessandro Sironi who is a sommelier.

MENU’ FULL OF HISTORY, TRADITION AND TASTE

The menu concentrates on daily proposals that offer authentic experiences from the Sienese countryside: 6 small servings that alternate bread soups with pinci, noble meats such as Chianina beef, or Cinta Senese pork with vegetables from the vegetable garden, traditional dishes such as the Mantovana, Panforte and pears cooked in wine together with more modern suggestions such as the Semifreddo di Mantovana. Tuscan recipes and ingredients often from farm to table. The list of dishes is a little more austere than previously, but all the same it is able to charm and express the culture of the territory even more than before.

23 June 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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6 bottles of 2019 farm extra virgin olive oil 2019

Extra virgin olive oil from the last harvest, in three varieties. Olives picked by hand in the olive groves at Fattoria del Colle and pressed at low temperatures, delivered directly at home

Fattoria del Colle is lucky to be positioned in an area renown for centuries because of the quality of its extra virgin olive oil. It is an authentic “cru” of the Tuscan olive oil. This offer will be delivered to your door ready to be served and to transform every dish into something delicious and healthy.

The estate has only 6 hectars of olive grove from which we make the 3 types of oil that we are proposing: the cultivar Moraiolo, Correggiolo (frantoio) and blend with the Biologico (organic) certification and the DOP Terre di Siena stamp.

OFFER OF 6 BOTTLES OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL -EVO 2019

2 bottles 0,75 Cl DOP Terre di Siena BIO 2019
2 bottles 0,50 Cl Extravergine di oliva cultivar Moraiolo
2 bottles 0,50 Cl Extravergine di oliva cultivar Correggiolo (Frantoio)

The offer finishes June 30th, 2020

19 June 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

Ricotta Montata

A Tuscan dessert that is easy to prepare an extraordinarily delicious: ricotta montata with Vin Santo, the Montalcino recipe

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

The simplest things are generally the nicest. Whipped ricotta is so easy to prepare that even people like me, who never cook, can do it. It is an exquisite dessert and need little preparation time.

Obviously there are many versions that are much more complicated. I am proposing the Montalcino recipe with Vin Santo in it, to be served with the same amber coloured wine and maybe with a couple of biscuits or cantucci.

17 June 2020

in Forum: News and lifestyle

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Summer weekend among the Tuscan vineyards

Two nights and two dinners at Fattoria del Colle in the most authentic part of Tuscany where there are wide spaces and every detail is studied to give safety and emotions

Fattoria del Colle summer weekends in Tuscany

Come and spend a weekend in the most beautiful countryside on a real four hundred year old farm. Among the vineyards, olive groves and breathtaking views Fattoria del Colle proposes stays in rooms with private bathrooms and in apartments with outdoor private areas equipped for eating out-of-doors. Carefully sanitized inside and out so as to guarantee the safety of the guests. However to avoid possible contamination, daily cleaning is still not supplied, just the delivery of clean linen.

REGENERATE OUT IN THE OPEN, TOURS WITH TASTINGS AND THEMED DINNERS

3 equipped parks where to sunbathe, admire the panorama and enjoy the quiet of the countryside, 1 swimming pool, 3 signposted hiking trails, where one discovers nature, a special trail dedicated to the vine.

15 June 2020

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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DOC ORCIA BIO LEONE ROSSO 2018

The first organic DOC Orcia Bio wine made by Donatella Cinelli Colombini is the Leone Rosso 2018, practically a Supertuscan made with Sangiovese and Merlot

Orcia DOC 2018 Leone Rosso Fattoria del Colle Donatella Cinelli Colombini

A RAMPANT LION AND DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S ANCESTORS

The name of the wine and the rampant lion on the label come from Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors’ coat of arms. This family in 1592 built Fattoria del Colle where this wine is born. This was an old and rich Tuscan family, mostly jurists and philosophers; they were then called Socini or Sozzini. The names of two Socinis, Lelio (1525-1562) and Fausto (1539-1604) are written in philosophy books as they were free thinkers and against the Church and, because of their writings regarding the Trinity dogma. Unfortunately their creed made them famous but also made them poor because they ended up being excommunicated and all their properties confiscated. Fattoria del Colle became once again property of this family only in 1919 when it was bought by Donatella’s grandfather Livio Socini.
Still today the family blazon, the rampant lion, is visible upon the entrances and on the ceilings of the Colle villa.

10 June 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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Fattoria del Colle new top wine destination

2 new proposals for wine lovers looking for an unusual itinerant tasting or who want to spend a day among vineyards, wines and activities

Agriturismo Fattoria del Colle Restaurant

Itinerant tastings that resemble adventures out to discover vineyards and wines, aromas and tastes, panoramas and historical locations. Also the proposal for a day at Fattoria del Colle to regenerate in a safe place, in contact with nature an able to tell a story centuries old. An itinerary dedicated to vineyards and to the wines they produce. Another activity that proposes an itinerant tasting with a mixture of history, aromas and flavours. A lunch experience to taste different Tuscan cheeses or cold cuts, and on Saturdays the possibility of an excursion to the Brunello di Montalcino winery Casato Prime Donne.

Tours and lunches are organized upon request and must be booked the previous day calling +39 0577 662108 or via email at info@cinellicolombini.it

Fattoria-del-Colle-Trekking in the vineyards

ITINERANT TASTING IN THE VINEYARDS

3 vineyards, 3 grape varieties and 3 wine tastings (h. 12,00 midday from the farm courtyard)

Itinerant tasting of the wines in the organic vineyards with the same variety of grapes are grown: Traminer for the IGT bianco Sanchimento, Foglia Tonda for the Doc Orcia Cenerentola and Sangiovese for the Brunello that is made in Montalcino at Casato Prime Donne visible at a distance. This experience thanks to an expert guide will be a fun discovery of the characteristic of the three varieties and of the vines they produce (15 Euro per person). Lasts about an hour.

ITINERANT TASTING IN GARDENS, VEGETABLE GARDENS, HISTORICAL LOCATIONS AND VINEYARDS

3 wines among history, vineyards, gardens and vegetable gardens (h. 3,00 pm: from the farm courtyard)

Trekking-in-the-vineyards-Toscana-Fattoria-del-Colle

Breathtaking views, the Italian garden at Fattoria del Colle with its paths, the San Clemente chapel built in 1592 with its stories of heretics and Madonnas, the bedroom that once belonged to the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo sovereign of Tuscany and his lover Isabella, the vegetable garden with its oldest and most curious plants like mandrake that has aphrodisiacal properties, wormwood – the green fairy and the pepper tree … An itinerary of aromas, stories and legends that includes also the tasting of 3 wines from Fattoria del Colle (Chianti Superiore DOCG, Doc Orcia Leone Rosso and IGT Il Drago e le 8 Colombe) and a typical Tuscan snack with freshly picked tomatoes from the garden (13 Euro per person). Lasts about one hour.

9 June 2020

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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A vertical of Brunello Riserva together with its glasses

1 June 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

Fattoria del Colle reopens Country Inn and Restaurant

In the part of Tuscany where fine wines come from, where Covid-19 practically has never arrived, Donatella Cinelli Colombini reopens and renews the tourism activities from July 1st

Fattoria-del-colle-roast-suckling-duck-breast-Cenerentola

Fattoria del Colle Restaurant – Roast suckling duck breast with Cenerentola wine

Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, a municipality where there have been no cases of Covid-19, and Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, where those infected have been just a handful, thanks to a Sangiovese in a patron saint version, these are the locations where Donatella Cinelli Colombini, from July 1st, expects tourists and wine lovers.
She wants to offer them fun and regenerating holidays, or just a few hours rest, immersed in the beautiful and uncontaminated landscape, tasting wines of extraordinary quality.

COUNTRY INN STAYS AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE

Holidays in apartments and rooms with private and equipped outdoor area to eat out-of-doors. Weekly stays, but also 2 nights stays with two dinners and wine tastings. To sanitize against Covid-19, medical-surgical products and a hydrogen peroxide system are used.

Fattoria del Colle the evening by the pool

For safety reasons daily cleaning cannot be done in the apartments and rooms, so they must we considered self care/self-catering with just a daily supply of clean linen.

PARKS, SWIMMING POOL AND HIKING

Fattoria del Colle has a total surface of 336 hectares and consequently offers wide spaces to regenerate out in the open air. There are 3 equipped parks where to sunbathe, admire the panorama and enjoy the quiet of the countryside, 1 swimming pool, 3 signposted hiking trails, where one discovers nature, a special trail dedicated to the vine. Loungers, deckchairs and outdoor tables, children’s games are all sanitized and distant to guarantee guests’ safety.

26 May 2020

in Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

6 bottles of a Supertuscan wine and 16 Tuscan recipes

Delivered directly to your home 6 bottles of IGT Toscana Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2016 Supertuscan together with a professional corkscrew and a little recipe booklet

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT Toscana 2016 has obtained 93/100 from Robert Parker – Wine Advocate and 91/100 from James Suckling. It is a Supertuscan wine: a creative one that does not belong to any designation. This is a family wine obtained with Sangiovese, Merlot and Sagrantino grapes from the vineyards at Fattoria del Colle.

The 2016 harvest was one of the best during the last 20 years and has been rated 5 stars, the top.
Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2016 is a small production of about 16.000 bottles destined to wine lovers for their meals at the restaurant, but also for the outdoor barbeques.
Together with the 6 bottles of Il Drago e le 8 Colombe will receive a small booklet with 16 recipes so you can cook old and modern Tuscan dishes, such as baccalà alla fratina, pinci, panforte and latte in piedi. Plus in the same case with the wine, you will find a professional corkscrew just like the ones used by sommeliers.

Drago e le 8 Colombe – IGT Toscana 2016 – wine rating

OFFER 6 BOTTLES OF IGT SUPERTUSCAN IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE 2016

A recipe booklet and a professional corkscrew

FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

Special price of 97,00 Euro (instead of 119,00)
We offer free shipping within Italy, and 10 Euro off shipping costs abroad.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

Special price of 107,00 Euro (instead of 119,00)
To this price the shipping cost is to be added, in Italy it costs 18€, while to ship abroad it varies from country to country and will be quoted upon receiving of the order.

Payment via bank draft or with credit card, Visa or MasterCard.

TO BOOK THE WINE SEND AN EMAIL TO

vino@cinellicolombini.it
This offer finishes on June 2nd, 2020

19 May 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

Put Renaissance at the table with a woven tablecloth

The ToscanaLovers stores, boutiques for the best handicraft, propose a loom woven tablecloth to be delivered directly to your home at a special price

For those inviting friends for dinner, for those who want an elegant table, for those who appreciate Italian craftsmanship. For those who choose only unique and refined things here is a loom woven tablecloth with traditional artistic designs: amphorae and damask.
It will arrive on your doorstep very quickly.

The looming craft in Italy has a long tradition, its golden moment was during the Renaissance, and it continues today in the small craft shops in Tuscany and in Umbria.

loom woven tablecloths – ToscanaLovers

The tablecloth that we are proposing is consequently a very precious object.
It is made with natural fibres – cotton and linen – and has been made following the typical jacquard system, so, it is double-sided, there is a different design on either side. Its measures, 240 x 180 cm, make it perfectly apt for a table for 6, but there are also other sizes and a few other colours.

TOSCANA LOVERS TABLECLOTH OFFER

Tablecloth 240×180 (for 6 people) linen blend (50% cotton and 50% linen) with 6 napkins
design Damask or Amphora

FOR THE MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB
Special price of 165,00 Euro (instead of 195,00) until May 26^th 2020
We offer free shipping in Italy, and offer 10€ discount on shipping abroad

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB
Special price of 175,00 Euro (instead of 195,00) until May 26th 2020
To this price, the shipping costs is to be added. In Italy is 18€, while for shipping abroad, costs varies from Nation to Nation and will be calculated upon receipt of the order

12 May 2020

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

2 magnums of Brunello Riserva, 2012 and 2013

Two great vintages of Brunello in the Riserva version and in Magnum bottles in a wooden box delivered directly to your home for your parties and important dinners

All Brunello is able to last in bottle for many years; the Riserva version is born for very long cellaring. Donatella Cinelli Colombini produces Brunello Riserva only in the best vintages, choosing by hand a small quantity of absolutely perfect Sangiovese grapes. For this reason Brunello Riserva has only been made 10 times in 13 years.
Always small quantities, for each vintage about 6.000 regular bottles and 100 magnums get produced.
The Magnum size 1,5 lt is the size where the wine is preserved best. If you are a wine lover and you want to surprise your friends with two exceptional Brunello, do not miss out on the possibility of buying these magnums of Brunello Riserva 2012 and 2013.
They will arrive in wooden boxes, directly on your doorstep together with a vacuum wine saver. This will help you store the bottle and be able to enjoy the wine, within the next few days.

OFFER- BRUNELLO RISERVA 2012 AND 2013 MAGNUM IN WOODEN BOX

Receive directly at home in A WOODEN BOX AND WITH A VACUUM WINE SAVER

Brunello riserva 2012-2013 Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

FOR MEMBERS OF DONATELLA’S CLUB

Special price 248 Euro (instead of 310) up until May 19th 2020

We offer free shipping in Italy and a 10€ discount on shipping abroad.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET CLUB MEMBERS

Special price 265 Euro (instead of 310) up until May 19th 2020

To this price the shipping cost must be added, for Italy 18,00€ while abroad the cost varies from nation to nation and will be quoted upon acceptance of the order.

PAYMENT via bank draft or credit card (VISA or MasterCard)

TO BOOK THE TWO MAGNUMS OF BRUNELLO RISERVA

Send an email to vino@cinellicolombini.it

This offer will conclude May 19^th 2020

5 May 2020

in Farm experiences

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

0 Comments

Knives that are jewels for your table

Meat knives with a horn or olive wood handle made by hand in small series in Scarperia famous since the 16^th century for its “sharp” blades

Boxes of 6 knives hand made in Scarperia with handles in natural corn or Italian olive wood. Shipped directly to your home to render your table even more precious.

MEAT KNIVES FROM SCARPERIA HAVE BEEN ON THE TABLES OF THE POWERFUL SINCE THE 16TH CENTURY

The Scarperia knives are refined and exclusive accessories for the table. …. but they are also small fragments of a noble and old history. The Tuscan elegance is in fact a blend of nobility and simplicity, luxury and sobriety.

Have you ever been to Florence? The palace where the rulers of Tuscany, Medici family lived is in the centre of the city, it is called Palazzo Vecchio and it is full of works of art. In a special cabinet, on show is a modern knife from Scarperia to show the bond between today’s handicraft and the city’s history.

Steak knives with ox horn handles made in Scarperia and chosen by ToscanaLovers

The Medici family was very rich, they all loved art an exclusive, precious things. For this reason Tuscany was full of great artists – such as Michelangelo or Leonardo – and of extraordinary artisans who worked with wood, ceramics…and iron. The best production of swords and knives was in Scarperia, in a town 30km from Florence that became famous like Toledo and Sheffield for their “sharp blades”.

To guarantee the quality of the knives from Scarperia in 1538 a Statute was written. The Scarperia artisans supplied knives to the king, and noble families all over Europe and now many of them are exhibited all over the continent.

OFFER

Set of 6 meat- steak knives with ox horn handle (there are ONLY 5 sets available)

For CLUB members

PRICE 310 Euro (instead of 360) inclusive of the wooden box and shipment in Italy, or, for abroad discount of 10,00 euro on shipment costs.

For NON MEMBERS

PRICE 325 Euro (instead of 360) inclusive of wooden box and free shipping in Italy or for abroad discount of 10,00 euro on shipment costs (the cost of the shipment varies from Nation to nation and will be quoted upon acceptance of the order).