Forum: News and lifestyle

Dry January is more and more cool, but is it really good for you?

Among the techniques to limit the consumption of alcohol, dry January has made inroads above all in the generation Z but is spreading everywhere

Dry January, a month without alcohol

This trend is a kind of early Lent but with the same regenerating purpose after a period of abuse such as that of the Christmas and New Year holidays. It consists in avoiding all sorts of alcohol throughout the month of January

DRY JANUARY IN UK AND USA

My friends from London city have told me that Dry January is very popular in the world of finance. In the United Kingdom, in fact, since 2013 Alcohol Change UK has been conducting major campaigns to promote it and helps participants with a coaching action through a free app. Inside there are not only tips but also the calculation of calories and money saved during the month without alcohol.

The Morning Consult survey conducted January 4-5, 2021 with 2,200 US adults found that 13% of American respondents were participating in Dry January.

9 February 2023

WINERY TOURS 2023

Tourism in wineries 2023: increasingly technological contacts and increasingly territorial experiences that are starting to be segmented by price and target for winery tours

experiences-in-the-winery-tuscany-create-your-own-wine-Fattoria-del-Colle

The 2023 winery tourism proposals are coming, the result of a rapidly evolving wine tourism scenario.

WINE TOURISM NEWS 2023 TOURISTS AND EXPERIENCES CHANGE

Nothing is like before covid, not even tourists. At least 4 types of visitors arrive in Italian wineries: the classic wine tourists, therefore the true enthusiasts of the nectar of Bacchus, the majority group who seek recreation in unspoilt nature, the high-spending guests, especially from abroad, who ask for exclusive moments and finally the Taliban of “wines without hands”, ultra-famous or with other extreme characteristics.

Another new element is the overtaking of wine experiences: the winery that manages to promote a truly exceptional wine tourism proposal well wins over the prestige of the wine.Indeed it enhances it enormously. For this reason the number, size and spectacularizing of the new tourist wineries is growing enormously with Hollywood effects and often far from the local culture.

However, the small, true and different still wins so, even if it seems a paradox, the “old-fashioned” cellars have more appeal than in the past.

2 February 2023

2023, THE YEAR OF THE NEW WINE TOURISM

Donatella Cinelli Colombini together with Divinea introduces CRM in wine tourism and presents her 4 new Brunello wine tours

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tourism-in-the-winery-Montalcino-Casato-Prime-Donne-Brunello

INAUGURATION OF THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINIAND DIVINEA WINE SUITE

Donatella Cinelli Colombini inaugurates the collaboration with Divinea – WineSuite with 8 wine experiences designed for the new tourist – explorer in search of unique, engaging, authentic moments, that are respectful of nature and local traditions. Strengthened by her profound knowledge of the wine tourism phenomenon, proven by the 5 manuals she has written, Donatella has decided to proceed in two directions: ultra-traditionalism in the experiences of tourists and a lot of innovation in contacts.

CRM AND WINE TOURISM

Hence the wine hospitality in the wineries Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda will use a CRM system to manage contacts.

For Italian wine tourism it is something new and capable of transforming cellar visitors into customers who continue to buy bottles, even after returning home, through the wine club and proprietary e-commerce.

27 January 2023

OFFER: 3 ORGANIC AND PREMIUM WINES TO HAVE FUN AT THE TABLE

For the more demanding wine lovers, a mix of 3 “highly rated family wines” from Tuscany for exciting combinations with local but also non-local dishes

RECEIVE THE IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE 2019, THE CENERENTOLA ORCIA DOC 2018 AND THE BRUNELLO 2018 DIRECTLY AT HOME WITH THREE RECIPES TO PREPARE AND A WINE-SAVING PUMP

Three premium wines

This offer is for those who love moments of relaxation at home, for those who like to experiment with dishes from all over the world, even mixing them in the same dinner. Two of the wines also contain unusual varietals to pique your curiosity. Cenerentola contains Foglia Tonda, an ancient vine of southern Sienese origin brought back into use about twenty years ago. Then Sagrantino and Merlot are used in Il Drago e le 8 Colombe, a truly exceptional mix!

If the bottle is not finished, the included wine saver pump allows you to try the combination with another dish the following day.

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe IGT 2019 is very versatile and multi-ethnic, it goes well with classic Tuscan foods such as Florentine steak or aged pecorino but also Indian or Chinese dishes with an intense flavour

The Cenerentola Orcia DOC 2018 goes perfectly with the Peposo dei Fornaciai

The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2018, on the other hand, goes very well with savoury dishes

Local traditional recipes

THREE RECIPES AS A GIFT

In the carton with the wines you will find cards with three recipes: Picchio Pacchio with Il Drago and le 8 Colombe for a Tuscan brunch, Peposo dei Fornaciai, to be paired with Cenerentola and Brasato al Brunello to be served with … Brunello of course. The recipes are easy, historic, and made with ingredients found everywhere. Even those who aren’t great cooks can make them flawlessly!

JAMES SUCKLING’S REVIEWS ON THESE SMALL SERIES WINES

Brunello di Montalcino 2018 93/100

Cenerentola 2018 92/100

Il Drago e le 8 Colombe 2019 92/100

19 January 2023

MONTALCINO’S TRIPE WITH SAFFRON

SAFFRON, AN EXOTIC AND PRECIOUS SPICE, GROWS SPONTANEOUSLY IN MONTALCINO, IT GROWS ON THE EMBANKMENTS , AND IS USED TO COOK TRIPE...

12 January 2023

in Characters and places, Farm experiences, Forum: News and lifestyle

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

THE BEDROOM THAT BELONGED TO THE GRAND DUKE

THE HISTORY OF THE ROOM CREATED AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE, FOR THE ROMANTIC ENCOUNTERS OF THE GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY PIETRO LEOPOLDO WITH HIS LOVER ISABELLA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SLEEP IN IT?

Agriturismo in Tuscany Fattoria del Colle Grand Duke’s bedroom

Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard von Habsburg-Lothringen was born in Vienna in 1847 and became Grand Duke of Tuscany at the age of eighteen in 1865. He left my region in 1890 to become Emperor of Austria and died in Vienna two years later. Her sister Marie Antoinette was the Queen of France guillotined during the revolution and another sister, Maria Carolina, reigned in Naples.

PIETRO LEOPOLDO GREAT SOVEREIGN AND GREAT WOMANIZER

His wife Maria Luisa of Bourbon was the daughter of the King of Spain and bore him 16 children, creating a family that, in the eyes of the Austrians, was too boisterous and disorderly.

30 December 2022

OFFER: BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2018 AND BRUNELLO 2018 BIO (ORGANIC) PREVIEW

Friends of Donatella’s Club will be among the first in the world to taste Brunello 2018 and the Prime Donne 2018 selection from the Casato Prime Donne winery

BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2018 AND BRUNELLO 2018 DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME

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This offer is for those who want to start the new year as every great wine lover dreams. The 2018 vintage crowns the talent of Tuscan winemakers. A vintage that is very reminiscent of those of our grandparents and that gave us a Brunello that is modern, elegant and very rich in perfumes. These are the first BIO Brunellos by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

BIO is a certification that aims to protect the environment and consumers, and which only allows the use of a little sulphur and copper in the vineyards. The grass is managed only with hoeing and the fertilizer is exclusively stable manure. The vines are taken care of manually and we no longer tie the vines with plastic to prevent this from creating pollution.

Brunello Prime Donne is part of a project for the enhancement of female talent in the oenological field. A panel of 4 very expert female tasters blind taste the future Brunello in all phases of its life: as soon as it is born, in the barrel, in blending. They are the Masters of Wine, Rosemary George and Madeleine Stenwreth, the wine expert Astrid Schwarz and the sommelier Daniela Scrobogna.

LINK FOR ONLINE TASTING

Donatella Cinelli Colombini will taste these 2 splendid wines together with those who ordered them online. The date and link of the connection will be communicated as soon as the wine has arrived to all customers. In the connection Donatella will explain the wines and tell how they were born, together with some amusing anecdotes.

23 November 2022

Donatella Cinelli Colombini

THE GIFTS OF WINE TOURISM TO ITALIAN WINE

Women, followers and themed hotels. These are the gifts that wine tourism can give to Italian wineries and which can greatly increase the business

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For the second time I have been invited to the Divinea Wine Tech Symposium this year in Milan in mid-November. My contribution focused on what wine tourism can give to Italian wine and here I explain the 3 “gifts” of wine hospitality to the wine business.

THE GIFTS OF WINE TOURISM TO WINE: FEMALE PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS

The wine incoming has contributed to the growth of interest in wine among the fairer sex. In reality it is not a new thing, 80% of the world’s wine is bought by women and these above all are bottles for daily consumption. 55% of habitual Italian wine consumers are women. But the recent novelty is the leading role that ladies are also assuming in the premium and super premium segment, a circumstance that also derives from the growth in the female percentage among the visitors to the cellars.

14 November 2022

BENVENUTO BRUNELLO AND AGRIETOUR WITH GREAT EMOTIONS

Benvenuto Brunello becomes Brunello Day with events in Montalcino, London, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles and AgrieTour in Arezzo rewards Donatella

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An intense autumn for Tuscan wines with Benvenuto Brunello which extends from 11 to 21 November and has its key day on the 17th when the preview of the new 2018 vintage will take place simultaneously in five cities around the world, namely London, Toronto, New York , Los Angeles and Montalcino. Don’t be surprised if I say that Montalcino is a city. It has had this title since the mid-fifteenth century (1462) and was confirmed just a few months ago with a decree by the President of the Republic.

BENVENUTO BRUNELLO 2022 BECOMES INTERNATIONAL WITH BRUNELLO DAY

The Benvenuto Brunello calendar marks the tasting of the new 2018 vintage by dividing the days for operators, press, wine lovers and even for the producers of Montalcino who will be able to taste the wines by their colleagues and in so drawing food for thought. The gala dinner was prepared by chef Valeria Piccini from the two Michelin-star “Da Caino” restaurant in Montemerano who studied the menu based on local products and especially white truffles.

10 November 2022

Brunello Prime Donne 2018 BIO

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s first BIO Brunello. Eight years of waiting: the first three in conversion and then the harvest and the long journey of the wine in the cellar, up to the bottle

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A great Brunello born in an “old-style” harvest.

The BIO rules do not allow the use of systemic chemicals and in 2018, a very rainy year, the winemakers of Casato Prime Donne had to work hard and very promptly to defend the vines from powdery mildew and downy mildew, but they succeeded.

THE 2018 VINTAGE IN THE BRUNELLO VINEYARDS

An “old-fashioned” vintage with a cold and rainy summer, very slow ripening and harvest on the normal dates of late September.

Very rainy winter and spring (16 rainy days in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May). Summer alternated with peaks of heat and thunderstorms. In September, the sunny days and cold nights allowed a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes with a progressive decrease in the size of the berries and an excellent synthesis of aromas.

4 November 2022

NOVEMBER OFFER: WINES FOR HOLIDAY SEASON LUNCHES AND GIFTS

Brunello 2017 and Spumante Rosé 2018 Metodo Classico, two high quality “family wines”, in a limited edition to add prestige to Christmas gifts and lunches

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These are “family wines” that is, bottles obtained from grapes, hand-picked, vinified and aged in the cellar by the same producer. Rare wines, which wine lovers can only find in wine bars and restaurants but which have an international success.

Brunello with its velvety royalty transforms a lunch into a memorable event and should be accompanied by important meat dishes or aged cheeses.

Spumante Brut Rosé is a masterpiece wine produced with artisan care in only 1433 bottles and is suitable for appetizers, light soups, fish and other delicate dishes. It is the wine for toasts and brings fresh elegance to happy moments.

For the upcoming holidays we are proposing:

3 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2017

3 bottles of Spumante Brut Rosé Metodo Classico 2018

2 single shopperswith logo to use as gifts

30 September 2022

OFFER FOR THIS AUTUMN: THE QUEEN, BRUNELLO RISERVA 2016

After the summer months spent with fresh and light wines, the time has come to move on to more full-bodied nectars. Brunello Riserva 2016 is the perfect wine for Thanksgiving holidays!

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This wine is suitable for long aging and celebrations of the coming years. The best food pairings are cheeses (aged Tuscan pecorino, spicy gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano) and with dishes of international cuisine, always based on meat or with structured sauces.

Sensational territorial combinations can be Pici with Sausage and Mushroom sauce, Wild Boar Scottiglia with Polenta, Duck Breast in Brunello sauce. But why not also try the combination of the Riserva with a Goulash, or with the Thanksgiving Turkey with Gravy or with a Canadian Tourtière.

6 bottles of 0,75lt of Brunello di MontalcinoRiserva 2016

Plus

1 volume “Cantine a fumetti” bilingual publication by Scuola Internazionale di Comics.

INTERNATIONAL WINE CRITICS JUDGE OUR RISERVA 2016:

95+ Wine Advocate by Robert Parker
Silky and refined, it also shows the power and intensity that characterize the climate of this classic vintage. The tannins of the wine, the freshness, the flavour of the fruit, rich and harmonious, ensure that no element dominates the other. There is a crunchiness or a tension on the finish that underlines the quality of the Sangiovese of this vintage.
94 Vinous – Antonio Galloni
93 Wine Spectator
92 James Suckling
90 Wine Enthusiast

26 August 2022

OFFER: FOR SMALL AND LARGE PARTIES, THE PERFECT WINE FOR A GIFT OR FOR ANY KIND OF DINNER

Exceptionally for the members of the Donatella Club, Rosso di Montalcino 2020, a fresh wine for the summer: young, light and lively, with silky tannins that conquer all tables, even those on the beach.

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Enough with the nicknames “Baby Brunello” and “Brunello’s younger brother”. Rosso di Montalcino is a contemporary wine, with its own identity and which is much loved by consumers. The first to believe in the potential of this denomination are the producers who belong to the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino and who have dedicated a “Red Montalcino” Trendy and cool event to this wine. In Montalcino there are 510 hectares of Rosso against the 2,100 of Brunello, illustrating a singular situation in the Italian wine scene where TOP wines usually have the tip of the production pyramid. So here is the trendiest and coolest wine of Montalcino, the one that excites young wine lovers.

6 bottles 0.75lt of Rosso di Montalcino 2020 BIO

3 Magnum bottles 1,5lt of Rosso di Montalcino 2020 BIO

18 August 2022