Forum: News and lifestyle

CENERENTOLA CHARMS CANADA

91, 93, 93, and 94/100 FOR THE 2019 CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC FROM FOUR SUPER CANADIAN TASTERS WHO ARE IN LOVE WITH THIS WINE’S DIVERSITY AND LENGTH

Orcia Doc 2019 Cenerentola Donatella Cinelli Colombini

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

The most cautious opinion comes from Michael Godel, a great connoisseur of Brunello and Tuscan winemaking in general, who tasted the 2019 Orcia Doc Cenerentola in November 2024 when it was “better to continue waiting” as he himself wrote.

ORCIA DOC, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WINE IN THE WORLD

The other tastings were conducted in March 2026, and the score rises to 93-94 points. David Lawrason has words of high praise: “The nose is extraordinary, very expressive, with complexity from maturation and a mix of red and black fruits… It’s full-bodied, with pronounced acidity and a notable warmth from the 15% alcohol. The tannins are quite firm and drying, but not green. The length is excellent, verging on exceptional.”

Wow, what a beautiful comment.

Sara d’Amato—an ecologist, writer, and highly experienced sommelier—also delivers a thrilling description. “The result is elegant and generous, both in aromas and on the palate. The oak is expertly integrated, allowing fruit and spice to unfold harmoniously. The tannins are ripe and enveloping, in line with the growing sensation of warmth provided by the 15% alcohol in the finish, which offers excellent length.”

The 94/100 rating comes from John Szabo, Canada’s first Master Sommelier and author of the book Volcanic Wines, which helped the world rediscover the uniqueness and charm of wines born near smoking mountains.

Regarding Cenerentola, he writes, “2019 is a spectacular vintage, and the wine’s class emerges here with an almost perfect balance, now beautifully harmonized.”

He also notes the “excellent length” of the Orca DOC Cenerentola, a character that seems to have impressed all tasters.

3 April 2026

HAPPY EASTER

“TRY TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY.” FOR EASTER LET’S JOIN ROBERTO BENIGNI IN URGING EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY AND TO GIVE HAPPINESS.

Montalcino- Sant’Antimo

In 2014, Roberto Benigni was the protagonist of a RAI program entitled Ten Commandments. One of his most famous speeches is the one on happiness, broadcast on December 1st.

The central line is this: “Make others happy. I said ‘happy’, not ‘better’. Don’t try to make others better. There’s only one person you should try to make better: yourself. You have to make others happy, and to make someone happy, you have to be happy yourself! Be happy, be happy, and become the adult you wish you had by your side when you were a child.”

According to Roberto Benigni, happiness is a gift and an achievement. All men and women are born happy, but if they don’t work on themselves to be better, they lose their happiness and, with it, the ability to make others happy.

A statement so simple it seems banal, but it’s actually profound and particularly connected to Easter. Even those who don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God must recognize that accepting torture and death for the love of others is something enormous.

“Love one another as I have loved you,” says Jesus, and it’s the same phrase that Benigni uses: “Make others happy.” The verb is different, but the meaning is the same, because love given generously makes those around us happy.

25 March 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

PREVIEW OF THE ORCIA DOC RISERVA CENERENTOLA

Cenerentola DOC Orcia Riserva 2020 Fattoria del Colle Donatella Cinellicolombini Toscana

10 VINTAGES OF ORCIA DOC CENERENTOLA TOGETHER WITH FASHION, DESIGN, EVENTS, SONGS AND FILMS FROM THE SAME YEARS TO DISCOVER HOW WINE IS CULTURE AND A MIRROR OF HUMANITY

Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her daughter Violante transformed the presentation of the 2020 Orcia DOC Riserva Cenerentola into a true workshop centred on the concept of “wine is culture.” A new and stimulating experience that engaged 60 guests, including journalists and industry professionals.

We’ll try to understand if wine changes its interpretation of the vineyard like a great piece of music. To illustrate the concept with an example, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 has a different character whether the orchestra is conducted by Toscanini, von Karajan, or Muti. The score is the same, just as the grapes and terroir are the same, but the final result changes based on an interpretation of the historical moment.

On Monday, March 23, at the Fattoria del Colle di Trequanda, for the first time, the wine will be tasted alongside the civilization in which it was born, an experience that will likely open new horizons for wine storytelling.

The tasting includes 10 vintages: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 of Orcia DOC Cenerentola, and the new 2020 Riserva, under the impeccable guidance of Ilaria Lorini, the first woman to be crowned Best Italian Sommelier (AIS) in 2025. From the first Italian wineries with an all-female staff, one could not expect anything different.

12 March 2026

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

2 AMBULANCES FOR CARLO

WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE STORY OF HOW THE FINANCING FOR THE TWO NEW AMBULANCES OF THE MISERICORDIA DI SINALUNGA WAS REACHED. IT’S NOT A MIRACLE, BUT NEARLY

benedizione del'ambulanza in ricordo di Carlo Gardini alla Fattoria del Colle

Carlo Gardini’s second ambulance blessing in Fattoria del Colle

It all began while my husband Carlo was in the hospital after falling down the stairs and undergoing an operation that left him almost immobile in bed, experiencing a real ordeal.

During that sad time, I met Stefania Magnani, president of the Misericordia di Sinalunga, so as to volunteer. She directed me to two activities: preparing food parcels and raising funds to finance the purchase of two ambulances. At the time, the Misericordia needed to replace two ambulances that had already travelled more than 250,000 kilometres and they had only €10,000 in cash. The president was extremely worried and was considering buying two used ambulances to keep them going for a few years.

4 March 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

THE VALUE OF “ONLY THERE” IN TOURISM

FROM TOURISM SHOPPING BASED ON AUTHENTIC, IDENTITY-ORIENTED, AND EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTS TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRENGTHENING OF TERRITORIES. THIS IS NON-CANNIBAL TOURISM.

l'importanza dei prodotti autentici e identitari per il turismo soprattutto quando sono esclusivi di un luogo

Famous street food in Naples – pizza margherita. Authenticity at its best!

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

When I first went to the UK, I bought a kilt that I wore for years. I was 17, and in Italy, especially in Siena, it wasn’t possible to buy anything similar. There were pleated skirts with tartan patterns, but not in the same wool and not with such beautiful designs.

Over the next 50 years, the industrial production of clothing, food, and originally handcrafted objects, as well as globalization, led to a progressive diffusion of “ethnic products” in world markets. Kilts could also be purchased in Tuscany and later online, at prices much cheaper than my first tartan skirt. But the quality was no longer the same, nor was the charm of an authentic object purchased in the production area.

Once upon a time, the greatest appeal of travel was the possibility of immersing oneself in a reality different from one’s own, where the sights, lifestyle, sounds, flavours, and smells allowed one to discover a civilization whose artistic monuments were the jewels of its crown.

23 February 2026

WHAT TURNS A GRAPE GROWER INTO A GREAT WINE PRODUCER?

WHERE DO STAR WINE PRODUCERS AND LARGE WINERIES COME FROM? PERSONAL TALENT, INNOVATION, VISION OF FUTURE MARKET TRENDS, OR WHAT?

10 vini italiani-più-amati-Madonna-delle-Grazie-Marroneto

What transforms a grape grower into a great wine producer, Alessandro Mori Il Marroneto

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

In Montalcino, as in Barolo, there are many wine producers born into farming families who have become international winemaking stars. I’ve always wondered whether this growth was the result of production spurred by innovation or commercial insight… or whether it arose from the ability to interpret the gifts of the land like a sculptor does with marble.

BEING A GREAT PRODUCERS MEANS PRODUCING GREAT QUALITY OR GREAT NUMBERS

How does the transformation from grape grower to successful entrepreneur happen?

Obviously, the great winemakers—and I’m thinking of people like Bepi Quintarelli, Alessandro Mori from Il Marroneto, or Elena Fucci—raise attention to their territory with their splendid wines, setting an example and opening the market to other producers as well.

Their success seems to be tied to their personal talent and their ability to make it visible.

Then there are the successful producers who transform from grape growers into great entrepreneurs, and this is what I’d like to focus on.

In books, the transformation from artisan to entrepreneur is described as the shift from making things to managing production and planning long-term strategies, “from working in the lab to working on the lab.” Translating this concept to wine, we could say that a wine producer becomes an entrepreneur when he stops thinking only about the vineyard and begins to think in terms of project, market, and value.

20 February 2026

MONICA LARNER: EXCELLENT SCORES FOR THE NEW BRUNELLOS

ROBERT PARKER – WINE ADVOCATE PUBLISHES REVIEWS OF THE 2021 BRUNELLO AND 2020 RISERVA JUST RELEASED, WITH WONDERFUL DESCRIPTIONS BY MONICA LARNER

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

Brunello Prime Donne 2021, Brunello di Montalcino 2021 e Brunello Riserva 2020 Donatella Cinelli Colombini wine advocate ratings Casato Prime Donne, Montalcino, Toscana

As always, Monica Larner, editor of the Robert Parker- Wine Advocate, impresses with her above-average journalistic professionalism. She’s not just a taster, as many of her colleagues are; she’s above all a journalist capable of narrating wine regions and explaining their evolution over time. Reading her helps us understand the appellations, of which she is one of the most faithful and profound narrators. This professional trait derives from her education at Boston University and then New York University, as well as from her experience in the editorial offices of three major newspapers: La Repubblica, the International Herald Tribune, and Corriere della Sera.

A more than solid background which, in more recent years, has been combined with an excellent tasting ability that places Monica Larner among the best wine critics in the world.

19 February 2026

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO PRIME DONNE 2021 ORGANIC AND SINGLE VINEYARD

DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S FIRST “SINGLE VINEYARD” BRUNELLO IS THE PRIME DONNE SELECTION 2021

Sangiovese per il Brunello vendemmia 2021 Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

Sangiovese for the 2021 harvest Toscana Montalcino Casato Prime Donne

The Ardita vineyard is one of Montalcino‘s finest. Every year, in any climate, it produces perfect grapes with small clusters and berries and uniform ripening.

It was planted in 2002 at 225 meters above sea level in a Plio-Quaternary soil with a prevalence of clay and marine sand. It had a slow start and is still not very vigorous; in fact, it almost never requires green harvesting because it spontaneously produces about a kilo of grapes per plant.

Like all the world’s great vineyards, the Ardita vineyard requires very little attention; in other words, it “does everything itself” thanks to a particular terroir. Even in the cellar, the wine produced from the Ardita vineyard requires no human intervention because it is flawless; therefore, it simply needs to be carefully stored in the finest quality barrels.

For this reason, the tasters who choose Brunello Prime Donne through blind tastings of the estate’s entire production often prefer the powerful, velvety structure of the wine from the Ardita vineyard. In the past, they requested it be aged in barrels (15-20 hl), but now they are also fascinated by the character of 5-7 hectoliter tonneaux, especially when steam-bent.

THE 2021 VINTAGE IN MONTALCINO

The 2021 harvest will be remembered as the longest and most expensive because the grapes were selected bunch by bunch in the vineyards. Due to an Arctic current that swept across Europe at the end of April, a large portion of the buds were scorched by the frost, while those that were still closed opened late, several days later. The vines’ growing cycles therefore began at different times, and the grapes therefore ripened at different times.

The bunches and berries were small and beautiful. But to pick them at the perfect moment of ripeness, the harvesters had to select them by hand, moving from one vineyard to another. It was a huge undertaking.

The very long ripening phase of this vintage created the foundation for the wines with excellent structure and with a particular vocation for long aging.

5 February 2026

I AM DYSLEXIC

AS A CHILD, I WAS CONSIDERED A LITTLE SLOW, BUT THEN THE BENEFITS OF DYSLEXIA CAME TO THE FORE, TODAY I’M TELLING MY STORY HERE TO ENCOURAGE THOSE LIKE ME. DON’T BE AFRAID

Donatella Cinelli Colombini testimonial della dislessia

Donatella Cinelli Colombini spokesperson for dyslexia

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, wineseacher, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda

Do you know what dyslexia is? It’s a neurodiversity, meaning a different way of processing information, resulting in emotional, sensory, and cognitive perception in relation to the environment that differs from that of “normal” people.

In other words, I and other dyslexics don’t have a deficit, but we are different. My mother was dyslexic, I am, and so is my daughter Violante. Dyslexia is hereditary.

THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY DYSLEXIA

When I was little, dyslexia wasn’t widely known in Italy, and I was considered a bit stupid because I read and wrote worse than my classmates. With my proverbial tenacity, I began to frantically read two books a week, and this practice helped me enormously in school.

In addition to the well-known difficulty distinguishing left from right, whereby d-b p-q e-a are the same letters for us, dyslexia has other drawbacks: where driving is on the left, we dyslexics become dangerous drivers. We don’t hear the sequence of sounds, so I only understand music after listening to a song dozens of times. But even the sounds within words and the sequence of words are difficult. This is why many dyslexics, and I among them, learn foreign languages with enormous difficulty.

But every cloud has a silver lining: we “neurodiverse” people think dynamically and possess great flexibility, which is invaluable in transforming problems into opportunities. We dyslexics have a broader vision that allows us to understand even highly complex systems and makes us “natural” managers. Creativity, lateral thinking, a vision for the bigger picture, and the ability to make unusual connections—these are the strengths of dyslexics.

29 January 2026

WHAT A WINE TOURIST SEES IN MY WINERY IN WINTER

IN WINTER, NEW BARRELS ARRIVE AND THE OLD ONES ARE REMOVED. THE FEW WINE TOURISTS ARE TREATED LIKE VIP GUESTS AND ARE THE FIRST TO TASTE THE NEW BRUNELLOS.

Botti nuove in cantina Toscana Brunello Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

New barrels in the cellar Tuscany Brunello Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

Wine tourists flock to our wineries at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda from April to November, but the peak season is September and October. However, the wineries are open even in winter, though reservations are absolutely essential as the reception service is by request only.

The few visitors we do have have tangible advantages. They are pampered, and if they want to stay a few more minutes, they aren’t pressured by le next tourists.

IN JANUARY YOU CAN BE THE FIRST TO TASTE THE NEW BRUNELLO

For us Brunello producers, the new vintage begins on January 1st, so wine lovers who visit my cellars in the first month of the new year can sample and take home an exclusive new wine to offer to friends, since only a few journalists have already tasted it. Typically, at this stage, Brunello is still slightly closed, like any wine destined for long aging, but it has greater energy, offering a beautiful tasting experience for those who drink it.

20 January 2026

TOSCANA LOVERS: THE SHOPS FOR THE BEST TUSCAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

TABLEWARE, KITCHEN, AND BATHROOM ITEMS MADE ACCORDING TO TRADITION OR WITH THE CREATIVITY OF MASTERS OF ART. THEY CARRY WITH THEM A CENTURY OF HISTORY.

Toscana Lovers boutique del miglior artigianato toscano tessuti a telaio

Toscana Lovers boutique for the best Tuscan handicraft loom-woven fabrics

The three Toscana Lovers stores in Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Cortona are owned by Casato SRL, a company wholly owned by Donatella Cinelli Colombini and her daughter Violante. Casato SRL also owns the 20 hectares of vineyards and the Casato Prime Donne winery buildings in Montalcino, where Donatella produces Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino, which she exports to 44 foreign markets.

HISTORY OF THE TOSCANA LOVERS CHAIN OF STORES

“The first Toscana Lovers shop opened in Siena in 2006, when I finished my first term as the city’s tourism councillor,” says Donatella Cinelli Colombini. “I thought I wouldn’t be re-elected. My husband, Carlo, owned a beautiful shop in Siena’s historic centre, and I asked him to vacate it so we could start a business selling Tuscan objects handcrafted according to our traditions.

I didn’t expect the mayor to call me back to serve as councillor, and when he did, I asked him, ‘But what am I going to do with the shop now? I’ve also bought the furniture.’ He replied, ‘Open it, but don’t make any requests to the city.’ That’s why the shop remained without a sign for five whole years. It was during my time as tourism councillor that I realized that craftsmanship is the true barrier to the decline of tourism, from fake souvenirs to industrial imitations—often imported from abroad—of traditional products.”

13 January 2026

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE (1)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE EVO OIL AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE QUALITY, THE ORCIAIA PROJECT AND THE VARIETIES WE PRODUCE

Olive correggiolo Toscana Fattoria del Colle

Correggiolo olives Toscana Fattoria del Colle

by Alessia Bianchi, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Donatella Cinelli Colombini

What determines the quality of extra virgin olive oil? It depends almost equally on nature and man. The terroir (soil and microclimate) determines the quality of the oil by 50%, the cultivar (i.e., its cultivation and harvesting method) by 25%, and finally, the mill and storage methods by 25%.

The Trequanda area and its olive oil production have been among the most renowned and appreciated for centuries. It is a small territory with abundant calcareous soils, its altitude is over 400 meters, its climate is breezy, and its distance from the sea means olive fly rarely reaches it. This area is particularly suited to olive cultivation, and the oil produced here is of the highest quality. Our production is entirely organic. Fattoria del Colle has 6 hectares of olive groves with approximately 1,600 trees grown in VASE (vase-trained). The olive varieties are Frantoio-Correggiolo, Moraiolo, and a few Olivastra.

The olives are hand-picked in October and November while still green. They are then stored in perforated crates and transported to nearby mills. Since 2025, we have been researching and differentiating the pressing process at three different mills in the area, with the aim of increasing the quality and accentuating the oil’s distinctive characteristics

FATTORIA DEL COLLE ORCIAIA PROJECT

The new oil storage room was created inside two wine vats from the early 20th century. Here we placed the ancient terracotta jars produced in Petroio, a few kilometres from Fattoria del Colle, a few centuries ago. The project involves returning to storing oil in the ancient terracotta jars, as was historically done in our countryside. Some of them have already been restored. The work was long and complicated because it involved both the internal lining and the connection to the nitrogen distribution system to preserve the quality of the oil. In fact, the oil must be stored in washable containers and without contact with oxygen to prevent oxidation.

8 January 2026

CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC RISERVA 2020-ORGANIC

A SERIES OF ONLY 200 NUMBERED MAGNUM BOTTLES FOR DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S FIRST ORCIA DOC RISERVA. FOR WINE LOVERS LOOKING FOR EXCLUSIVENESS.

Sangiovese harvest 2020

The very small production run limits this wine’s audience to connoisseurs seeking exclusive bottles. In short, it’s a rare gem.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year,” said Donatella Cinelli Colombini, without hiding her affection for the Cenerentola wine, which she considers one of the greatest successes of her professional life. “I believed in the native Foglia Tonda grape variety when it was on the verge of extinction, and I followed step by step the research for the right way to grow, harvest, and age it. I found winemakers who love it as much as I do—Valérie Lavigne and Barbara Magnani—and I made the Cenerentola DOC Orcia wine a true princess of winemaking,” she says, referring to the international ratings that award it scores between 91 and 94 out of 100.

“Producing an Orcia Riserva means showcasing Cenerentola’s excellent aging potential. The Sangiovese and Foglia Tonda grape varieties are genetically father and son. The former gives the wine elegance, the latter power. In the Fattoria del Colle terroir, at 400 meters above sea level, they find a particularly favourable habitat, producing elegant, powerful, velvety, and wines for cellaring.”

DOC ORCIA CENERENTOLA 2020 FROM FAIRY TALE TO WINE

Each magnum bottle will come in a white “royal case” with gold lettering that recalls the fairy tale from which the wine’s name originates. Indeed, Cinderella is a fairy tale transformed into wine. The Orcia DOC, to which it belongs, was created on February 14, 2000, nestled between the territories of its two more famous “sister” wines: Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. With courage, tenacity, and talent, the young appellation is establishing itself, and wines like Cenerentola are already exported to over 20 foreign markets.

8 January 2026