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Winery hotel, where the cellar is

In Stockholm the first hotel with barrels in the reception, it is called Winery Hotel and proposes weekends with wine just like a real winery

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne

Wine tourism success can be measured also with the increase of wineries everywhere, such as the Winery Hotel. Last year saw the revelation of the  “urban winery” with grapes arriving in crates in the middle of London and wine lovers paying to take part in the choosing of the grapes. Then the vineyard on a skyscraper in New York and a few months ago we saw the images of the domestic winery with wine making apparatus in the lounge. So competition is always stronger for the real wineries.

The last novelty is the Winery Hotel in Stockholm <<Sweden’s first combined urban winery and boutique hotel. This is in fact in Sweden, a nation where the climate has been up until now too cold to cultivate vines and so there are no wineries. But maybe it is because of this that the proposal of a winery hotel, where you can see the production process of wine and then taste it, can result in being incredibly attractive. In fact the invitation is << follow the freshly-picked grapes’ journey from barrel to bottle>> …  and finishes with the sentence: increase your wine knowledge.

Vinitaly IOsonoDONATELLA come and take a selfie in my place

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is hunting for a lookalike to photograph and propose on Instagram with the #iosonodonatella hashtag

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Vinitaly stand (Hall 6 stand D4) becomes a photographic studio with a silhouette that playfully resembles her. The invitation is for friends, wine lover and buyers, to come and take a selfie or a photo in her place << #iosonodonatella and so are you!>> and to immediately post the image on Instagram, this is what the Signora del Brunello proposes.

Valerio Marini Donatella at Vinitaly 2016

In this occasion we open the Vinitaly doors also to those who stay at home, as anyone can join us in this game with the Donatella name and the prestigious Brunello 2010 IOsonoDONATELLA <<the best wine I ever made>>.

#iosonodonatella come and take a selfie instead of me

For the first time it is actually at Vinitaly <<we have made only 600 bottles and it sold out in 15 days that is why there was no time to organize tastings and presentations>> explains Cinelli Colombini proud of this rare and precious wine: on the bottle stands here crest in gold leaf, inside a shiny ring hat recalls her student studies on medieval jewellery. So at Vinitaly there will be a unique opportunity to taste Brunello IOsonoDONATELLA and even to take her place, at least for a moment.

US women must choose: sex or alcohol

The US authorities wish to make women choose between sex or alcohol and the Italian researchers discover that future fathers should also not drink

Sex or alcohol: right drinks/birth control parings according to Katie Jean

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello Casato Prime Donne

The indication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages by women in fertile age. According to them half of pregnancies are casual and get recognized only after a few weeks. If the future mum drinks alcohol in the phase she is exposing the child to a risk of malformations. This is the reason for the advice, for fertile women, who do not use contraception, to never consume alcohol. As if to say sex or alcohol. This request has created a pandemonium as it forces women to choose between consumption of alcohol even moderate, and sex. Among the fiercest reactions is that by Katie Jean on Instagram who has published a sketch with the drinks apt for every type of contraception, so those using the pill should drink red wine as they are traditionalists, gin drinkers should use the contraceptive patch, while those who ask their partner to wear a condom is apt for drinking beer because they prefer things that are simple and varied.

sex and alcohol – dangers for the baby

Even though this ironic image travelled the world over, the advice from the CDCP alarmed practically everyone but especially 4 million American women who might remain pregnant. In reality drinking alcohol during the first few days of a pregnancy is not so risky, while those who consume alcohol during the whole pregnancy might have a baby with Foetal alcohol syndrome or FAS, so with a small head a low IQ and heart problems.

Here's why Brunello di Montalcino is unique

What makes Brunello di Montalcino so special and inimitable? Here’s why the wine from every winery in Montalcino different and what makes Casato Prime Donne stand out

Brunello di Montalcino – Casato Prime Donne winery

Montalcino Casato Prime Donne, Brunello barrels

Montalcino is the place where the Sangiovese variety reaches excellence; the soils are from very old geological eras, the climate is favourable and the grape growers’ passion helps to create real masterpieces with just one grape variety: Brunello di Montalcino. Few territories the world over can produce wonderful wines with just one variety Burgundy with its Pinot Noir, the Rhone valley with  Syrah … these areas the soil vocation and the love of the grape growers unite perfectly. This also happens in Montalcino. At Casato Prime Donne for example, where there is a small hill facing south and with the Suga stream close by. The owner’s ancestors used to go to Casato by horse, to go hunting in the big woods that reached the sea. Already in 1592 they were paying taxes, for the products of their land. But it was Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s grandfather, Avvocato Giovanni Colombini, who emphasized this area with Sangiovese vineyards to produce Brunello. In the past few years thanks to the changes in climate the quality of the grapes has reached extraordinary levels. In fact the cool microclimate at Casato Prime Donne allows a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes and this gives the wine extraordinary elegance, harmony and complexity. 

Leone Rosso by the Lioness Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Leone Rosso Orcia Doc in a roaring new version. Harmonic, full, extremely pleasant and elegant is the perfect example of the 2013 harvest here in the DOC Orcia

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Leone Rosso harvest 2013 – grapes selection

This wine Leone Rosso owes its name to the blazon which belonged to Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s ancestors, the Socinis, and old family ,who in 1592 built Fattoria del Colle which is where this wine comes from. Among the Socinis there were 5 heretics. Two of which –Lelio and Fausto – were particularly important opponents of the Catholic church and for this reason were excommunicated. Fattoria del Colle was confiscated and only in 1919 it was bought back by a Socini, great-grandfather to the present owner Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

Today the estate covers 336 hectares of which 17 of vineyard for the production of Chianti DOCG and Orcia DOC. This last denomination was created in the year 2000 in the beautiful and intact territory in southern Tuscany between the more famous Brunello and Vino Nobile territories.

The 2013 harvest has been described by Prof Attilio Scienza as “old style” with lower temperatures than in the previous years, soil plentiful of humidity and a traditionally long vegetative cycle that makes longer lasting more complex wines. The harvest was not very plentiful but excellent for those like Donatella Cinelli Colombini picked before the arrival of the rainfalls.

The 10 wine words, but not in English

Wine is in itself a universal message, but the history of wine is full of terms from all over the world and here are the 10 most used wine words

Julien Miquel explains the 10 most used wine words

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Brunello, Casato Prime Donne, Toscana

I often read the thoughts of Julien Miquel, a French wine maker, who lives in New Zealand and is an authentic social wine genius.  This year his Social Vignerons won the Wine Blog Award among the novelties. I suggest you follow him on Facebook, Twitter or on his blog or in Vivino because he opens up new horizons for you. Here I am quoting an article of his about the 10 most common wine words and you will discover the curiosities that only a super wine expert knows

“Riserva” is among the most common wine words

Wine for Julien is like an actor that doesn’t need an interpreter to be understood << But there are a few wine terms that keep popping up on wine labels all the time. So you are simply better off understanding their meaning if you want to know what you’re buying>>

So here is Julien Miquel’s wine dictionary with the 10 most popular non-English wine words that appear on back labels, because as everyone knows the front label is nearly always the work of a graphic artist, while the obligatory by law information and the explanations are always on the back.

Rosso di Montalcino 2014 the year of ORGANIC vineyards

Donatella Cinelli Colombini  presents her Rosso di Montalcino 2014 portraying a 20th century style vintage in the sign of ORGANIC vineyards.

Rosso di Montalcino 2014 Donatella Cinelli Colombini

2014 a vintage like in the 20th century with great cluster thinning and reduction of the leaves just like our grandfathers used to do. At the end perfect grapes that were sound and rewarded the great work done by the grape growers.

In fact 2014 has been the vintage for a comeback for those who, like Donatella Cinelli Colombini, believe in a manual and organic cultivation of the vineyards. Healthy vines, healthy and ripe grapes. Those who have used pesticides cannot say the same.

The Rosso di Montalcino 2014 is being put on sale a few months earlier than foreseen because of the great success that was obtained by the previous vintage.

Casato Prime Donne grape harvest 2014

The new style of the Rosso di Montalcino by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, that is so liked by wine lovers all over the world, is based on a very delicate vinification which extracts from the grape skins only the best. The result is very satisfying and easy to match with food from all over the world, it is elegant, round but most of all extraordinarily harmonious.

It is this extreme harmony that is the distinctive trait of the grapes from Casato Prime Donne, thanks to the slow and gradual ripening of the grapes typical for this area. In 2014 the climatic conditions were ideal for the synthesis of the grape aromas and consequently those of the wine. It is in fact the climate that has impressed in the 2014 wines a very modern style: deep, round and not very alcoholic.