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March 8th 2012 International Women's day in the women's wineries
Granduke's Bedroom - Fattoria del Colle
Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s wineries are the first in Italy with an all female staff. What better place for a stay dedicated to femininity?
Relax in the countryside between the Crete Senesi and the Val d’Orcia, in a wellness centre which is intimate and welcoming, which recalls Ingres’s odalisques, a dinner with a view over the medieval hamlet of Trequanda, accompanied by Cenerentola Orcia DOC, a wine with a fairytale and feminine name un but hides a woman of great character and determination.
How much will tourism be worth? Twice as much as today
In twenty years we will pass from 980 million travellers of today to 1 billion and 800 million. What a change! In 1950 25 million set out for journeys.
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billboard
So we understand that there will be an acceleration of opportunities and of risks. In fact tourism creates business, new jobs, but at the same time modifies the destinations filling them with shops with false souvenirs, the menus in the restaurants are modified according to the tastes of tourists and even the architecture can be homologates, changing bars, restaurants and hotels into “non places” the same all over the world.
Polenta con friccioli, pecorino cheese and anchovies from Montalcino
Polenta or “Pulenda” as we call it in Montalcino (boiled ground maize) is a typical dish for the cold winter months and especially when it snows because it warms you and gives you energy.
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polenta
During the period when the olives are picked, something that at Fattoria del Colle and all over Tuscany is done manually and lasts from November to January, the polenta was necessary to hearten the pickers, who regardless of the north wind had to go up the ladders and hand pick the olives.
Enogastronomicamente comunicando
This is the manual written by Fabio Piccoli and Lavinia Furlani that teaches you to increase your value and that of your estate
Enogastronomicamente comunicando – the book cover
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Enogastronomicamente comunicando
(Edizioni Le Foglie del Gelso pp. 112, € 18)
Two extraordinary authors: Fabio is a journalist from the food sector; expert in marketing, Lavinia is a philosophic consultant. They are a surprising couple but one that gets wonderful results, because the book really has a new style, and instead of the usual long list of practical pieces of advice “ready for use”. Goes to the root of a problem: sincerity, coherence courage, telling about oneself, boredom of things that have already been said and the need to be creative, optimists, proud of ones own work….
Behind the scenes of Benvenuto Brunello 2012
Benvenuto Brunello becomes a celebration for wine and the young: many connected via social networks and many wine lovers under 40 in Montalcino.
Benvenuto Brunello - MontalcinoNews - women staff
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The Brunello village built among the historic buildings in Montalcino to welcome up until this moment 250 members of the press and 2.500 operators with an increase of nearly 20% with respect to previous editions but most of all there has been a generational renovation among those involved: many young producers and most of all many young buyers.
A refreshing breeze, maybe brought on by the idea of making Benvenuto Brunello the first wine event in Italy online, in other words with a virtual connection with operators and wine lovers all over the world. In other words, change of location, extraordinary wines and enthusiastic clients. What a show!
This is Ferragamo's image for Brunello 2011 awarded 4 stars
A delicate surrealist image is the emblem for Brunello 2011 four stars, created by Salvatore Ferragamo ‘ s stylists
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Brunello2011 - Ferragamo's tile
Sangiovese clusters and a bottle of Brunello made of petals with a delicate design of vine shoots and leaves. This is the very refined imaged wanted by Massimo Ferragamo Chairman at Ferragamo USA.
It is exhibited on the facade of the thirteenth century building that was the Montalcino town hall, continuing the calendar of tiles representing Brunello vintages which is enriched with every new vintage. The previous tiles were autographed by artists such as Sandro Chia, sport champions like Deborah Compagnoni, cartoonists such as Giannelli for the “Corriere della Sera” and Tadashi Agi Okimoto Shu of the Japanese cartoon strip Kamino Shizuku –The drops of God, stylists like Prada, Missoni , Cavalli, photographers like Oliviero Toscani … In other words great names for a great wine.
2 anniversaries and 15 stars for Benvenuto Brunello 2012 2 anniversaries and 15 stars for Benvenuto Brunello 2012
Benvenuto Brunello 2012 - lunch in Palazzo Vescovile
80 years since the delimiting of the Brunello production to the territory of the Montalcino municipality, 20 years from the first Benvenuto Brunello, 3 five star vintages on sale seen for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini These are the reasons for a great party in honour of Montalcino and its producers. A winning team composed of champions, a team able to compete at the highest levels in the world's scenario. This year for the first time three vintages each valued 5 stars (the highest rating possible) Rosso di Montalcino 2010, Brunello 2007, Brunello riserva 2006, exceptional wines, all of them. Here Brunello is framed in its territory, its hills, its vineyards, its wineries, and the town that welcomes, using its historic buildings an event never seen before.
Come on Minister Gnudi , you can do it, give us a nice web site!
The new minister delegated for Tourism Piero Gnudi busy with the web site, the well known www.italia.it. A never ending story since 2004
Minister PieroGuidi - Bit Milano
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It’s this web that created great embarrassment for Francesco Rutelli when he launched the first version. Basically after 8 years and 30 million Euros spent we still have a web site with odd contents, badly translated, not at all easy to surf and most of all not at all orientated towards the client. An example?
A super Riserva for Brunello
5 star harvest, vineyards in their prime, Valérie Lavigne’s personal touch and the new graphic style for Brunello Riserva 2006 from Casato Prime Donne
This is the most important type of Brunello di Montalcino, wine apt for
D. Cinelli Colombini - Metropolitan Pavillon in New York - Introducing Brunello
lasting centuries, and in this selection expresses at its best its potential. Donatella Cinelli Colombini has decided to aim high.
In 2006, a five star harvest, the grapes from the new vineyards with a low yield, we had an even lower production than usual, so as to allow Valérie Lavigne our consultant wine maker to select only the best. This style is very very elegant and very Tuscan.
Strade del Vino and the Web, an impossible love story
At the International Wine Tourism Conference 2012 in Perugia Donatella Cinelli Colombini and Antonio Gnassi analyze Italian Strade del Vino web sites
Fattoria del Colle - Antonio Gnassi speech done via video conference at the International Wine Tourism Conference
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Firstly the tourist offices were checked and 9 Strada del vino: Barolo, Franciacorta, Piana Rotaliana, Costa degli Etruschi, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Sagrantino, Castel del Monte, vini dell’Irpinia e dell’Etna.
I begin with a comment regarding the tourist offices: basically in only 3 Strade del vino in centralItalyhad an information point for the public managed directly, all the others depend on the local authorities or don’t have one at all. The contents of the web sites are generally rich but with many critical aspects: often they are only in Italian and with no information regarding wines. Our analysis reveal other problems which are deeper routed and more serious.
Do you feel stupid because you pay your taxes?
<<No receipt given in 4 out of 5 shops. Neapolitan record> is the title on the Corriere della Sera. How is that possible? In the end it’s only the silly like me who pay their taxes!
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Donatella Cinelli Colombini
In addition to this, as pointed out by the president of Agriturist Vittoria Brancaccio, those who do not pay taxes are also carrying our an unfair competition towards those who are honest buy offering lower prices on their price lists. 82% of unpaid taxes are in Naples, 47% in Rome and Milan, only Genova is not too bad with only10% without receipt. Increase in sales of 1000% on the day when the tax revenue officials were running riot around Naples. Porsche and Audi registered as belonging to the poor….. ISTAT talks of evasion for 50% in the tourism sector for a total of 36 billion per year. How on earth is this possible? Especially now that everyone pays with a credit card!
Why Benvenuto Brunello must remain in Montalcino
Benvenuto Brunello 2012 is only five days away and I would like to explain why I’m against moving this event to Florence and want to keep it in Montalcino
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Montalcino - old picture
During the past few days and during a recent mission to the USA with the Consorzio del Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the producers of Brunello and mostly I have been often solicited so that the previews of the Tuscan red wines became a large event to be organized in the Stazione Leopolda in Florence. I have underlined to everyone and everywhere how contrary I am, as I did to the Regional councillor Gianni Salvadori a few months ago.
Toscana Lions visit Chiusi, curiosities and considerations
Chiusi – February 18th 2012 – the Distretto Lions 108 la Toscana reunited around the Governor Michele Manzari and his “great dream” the Dynamo Camp
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Lions MicheleManzari - Governatore Distretto108LaToscana
The call it “recreation therapy” and in the camping site in the Pennines dreamed of by the Governor is the first in Italy. It accepts children from 7 to 17years of age, with serious or chronic illnesses, or during their post op period. The children concentrate on their own abilities rather than on the limits imposed by the illnesses and find the courage necessary to follow the therapy. There are animators, sport and animals.
There is good news regarding the Dynamo Camp, on June 3rd the hospitality centre will be inaugurated and the collection of funds is continuing to cover the costs of the tents.