Forum: News and lifestyle

FROM WINE BY THE GLASS TO OXIDIZED WINE

CUSTOMERS ARE INCREASINGLY ORDERING WINE BY THE GLASS INSTEAD OF BOTTLES, BUT WHAT THEY GET IN THEIR GLASS IS SOMETIMES OXIDIZED. HOW TO UNDERSTAND IT AND WHAT TO DO

Vino al calice e ossidazione Tagliata di cinta senese - Fattoria del Colle Trequanda Toscana

>Wine by the glass and oxidized wine Tagliata di cinta senese – Fattoria del Colle Trequanda Toscana

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

I order wine by the glass, especially if it’s an opportunity to try new things and share a glass with friends. However, restaurants often aren’t equipped for this type of service. They don’t have nitrogen systems or even oxygen extraction pumps. You might see bottles served by the glass displayed on the counter, corked, with the original cork, so besides being too warm, they’re almost certainly oxidized.

WINE BY THE GLASS IS ATTRACTIVE, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO CHOOSE AND STORE IT

At a certain point, it’s worth making a sacrifice and ordering a whole bottle, hoping the manager will have a bag to take it home and finish it at leisure.

And yet, wine by the glass is on the rise. Many, like Andrea Gori, believe it is the best way to stem the decline in consumption. And, all things considered, it’s also very profitable for restaurants and wine shops. For still wines, a bottle is good for five glasses, and by the third glass, the manager has already pocketed the full retail price. Obviously, this is possible if the service is intelligent, offering the right wines: established brands alongside authentic rarities waiting to be discovered, but above all if the storage equipment is adequate.

12 August 2026

VINEYARDS AT CASATO PRIME DONNE (1)

THE SECRETS OF GREAT VITICULTURE, DRAWN FROM THE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF A PRODUCER CRAFTING AN EXCEPTIONAL BRUNELLO BY LETTING THE GRAPES DO THE WORK- EVEN AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES

Sangiovese per il Brunello Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato Prime Donne Montalcino

Sangiovese for Brunello Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato Prime Donne Montalcino vineyards

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination

I began managing the vineyards at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino in 1998, when my parents gifted me the two estates.

Across the two properties, there were about 25 hectares of old vineyards featuring many dead vines (gaps in the rows) and a multitude of grape varieties and Sangiovese clones—all mixed together and often of poor quality. Unfortunately, it is impossible to restore vineyards in such a state, so I had to uproot and replant them.

I adore centenarian vineyards and envy those who own them. The only old vineyard I managed to save is Sant’Antonio, planted in 1987; it is treated like a relic and tended to with great care… yet it is only forty years old.

I HAVE BEEN PLANTING VINEYARDS FOR 25 YEARS IN THE “GOLDEN CUP” OF BRUNELLO

The remaining vineyards at Casato Prime Donne have been replanted between 2000 and the present day. This process was carried out gradually—planting one or two hectares a year—and relied on a team of excellent vineyard workers led by two extraordinary, passionate “vignerons”: Efisio Luche and Davide Rinaldi. I recall that in 2015, when Denis Dubourdieu—the renowned and formidable professor from the University of Bordeaux’s oenology department—visited us and walked through every single vineyard, he said to Efisio: “Félicitations, vos vignobles sont impeccables.”

Casato Prime Donne is located in the northern Brunello zone, atop a 225-meter hill formed by the fragmentation of the larger Montalcino hill—a process that created the Montosoli rise and, right next to it, our own. In front lies a small valley carved by the Suga stream, which may well have been a river millions of years ago. It is a stunning, cup-shaped area that turns golden yellow after the harvest, thanks to the Sangiovese leaves—a landscape we might well call the “golden cup.”

11 August 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

in Characters and places, Forum: News and lifestyle

RED WINE SERVED CHILLED IS BETTER

I ONCE SERVED MY BRUNELLO AT THE TEMPERATURE OF A HOT BROTH, AND I WAS MORTIFIED. YOU NEED TO USE AND ICE BUCKET FOR REDS TOO

Tormaresca Antinori -fichimori- vino rosso da bere fresco

Tormaresca Antinori -fichimori- red wine to be served chilled

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

Until a few years ago, the problem for us Brunello producers was bottles getting too cold in winter; however, global warming has reversed the situation. Now, the focus is on cooling the wine, as no one wants to serve it at a temperature that makes it resemble herbal tea. That is why using ice buckets—a practice once reserved for whites and rosés—has become common for reds as well. And I am not referring only to young wines that emphasize freshness, but also to great reds meant for aging.

RENOWNED SOMMELIERS AND WINEMAKERS ALIKE AGREE ON THE PRACTICE OF CHILLING WINES

A delightful article by WineNews discusses this trend, featuring insights from prestigious sommeliers such as Paolo Porfidio (Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Milan), Sebastien Ferrara (Enrico Bartolini al Mudec, Milan), and Marco Reitano (La Pergola by Heinz Beck, Rome).

10 August 2026

SANDRA MISALE PRIMA DONNA 2026

SANDRA MISALE RANKS AMONG THE WORLD’S LEADING CANCER RESEARCHERS. JOURNALISTS FRANCESCA CIANCIO AND ANDREA CUOMO, ALONG WITH 9 YOUNG TALENTS, WERE ALSO HONORED ALONGSIDE HER

Francesca Ciancio vincitrice del premio giornalistico Casato Prime Donne 2026

Francesca Ciancio winner of the Casato Prime Donne Award 2026 journalistic section

In Montalcino, on Saturday, September 19, the Casato Prime Donne Award honours Sandra Misale—a 41-year-old woman born in Calabria who now heads a laboratory bearing her name at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. If patients suffering from pancreatic or colon cancer, melanoma, or leukaemia can today hope for a more effective and less invasive treatment, they owe it in part to her.

The jury of the Casato Prime Donne Award—chaired by Donatella Cinelli Colombini and comprising Rosy Bindi, Anselma Dell’Olio, Anna Pesenti, Stefania Rossini, Anna Scafuri, and Daniela Viglione—selected Francesca Ciancio and Andrea Cuomo as the winners in the journalism categories for promoting Montalcino and its wines. Other awards went to nine young talents in the fields of music, art, jewellery making, and pastry arts.

6 August 2026

in Farm experiences, Forum: News and lifestyle

CASATO PRIME DONNE A BRUNELLO WINERY AND MUCH MORE (2)

THE ARTWORKS AND DEDICATIONS ALONG THE PRIME DONNE TRAIL TRANSFORM THE WINERY VISIT AND VINEYARD TREK INTO AN ENRICHING AND REJUVENATING EXPERIENCE

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

Montalcino -Casato Prime Donne 2012 ARDITA

2012 “ARDITA” BY MARCO PIGNATTAI

Ardita depicts a life-sized Chianina ox—a historic animal of this land, where it once toiled pulling the very same plough the artist has placed behind the sculpture. The ox is crafted from a mirrored steel silhouette that reflects the surrounding countryside, appearing almost to become part of it. It stands beside the vineyard of the same name, on the hill overlooking Casato Prime Donne.

In 2005, the young architect Marco Pignattai—a native of Montalcino—designed the first Chianina ox, which was created from travertine, a stone typical of the Siena area. As is often the case with Land Art, the installation became part of the natural environment, shifting with the changing seasons and times of day… it became covered in moss and eventually collapsed to the ground, destroyed by the elements. Today, the original Ardita lies on the ground like a shadow of its twin—the one installed in its place—which is even capable of visually incorporating the original into its own image.

The quotation by Maria Carmela Lanzetta, Mayor of Monasterace, who defied the ‘Ndrangheta:

“Our eyes, dazzled by the colours of the sea in our native town and by the cypresses sailing upon the harmonious waves of the Tuscan hills. To journey through that endless vista while reflecting on the beauty of the landscape—which must be preserved—and on the women who must be protected from daily violence.”

4 August 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Not only wine...

CASATO PRIME DONNE: A BRUNELLO WINERY—AND MUCH MORE (1)

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WINERY THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU, COME TO CASATO PRIME DONNE. HERE, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT AWAITS YOU—BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL BRUNELLOS AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES.

Montalcino 2018 Premio Casato Prime Donne con vincitrice Sara Gama

Montalcino 2018 Casato Prime Donne Award with winner Sara Gama

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

There is a common belief that all wineries are alike. To some extent, this is true, as many do resemble one another; after all, the types of barrels and fermentation tanks used are much the same everywhere. Consequently, architects have sought to arrange them aesthetically to create a “wow factor,” even though this often comes at the expense of winemaking itself. While a uniform row of identical vats may look more harmonious, it is rarely practical to have identical quantities of grapes to fill them. In most cases, winemaking vessels of varying sizes are required to keep grapes from different vineyards, grape varieties, and stages of ripeness separate.

16 July 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Not only wine...

in Characters and places, Forum: News and lifestyle

DONATELLA BEGINS WORKING AT FATTORIA DEI BARBI

PECORINO CHEESE, CURED MEATS, HOSPITALITY AND PUBLIC RELATIONS – THIS IS HOW DONATELLA’S PROFESSIONAL CAREER BEGAN, A TIME DURING WHICH SHE ALSO BECAME MOTHER WITH THE ARRIVAL OF VIOLANTE

Donatella at Fattoria dei Barbi

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

DONATELLA BEGINS WORKING AT FATTORIA DEI BARBI

Tired of playing the role of the supportive wife and doing the cooking, I decided to ask my mother, Francesca, if I could work for the family business; she assigned me the task of managing the dairy, the cured meats production, the restaurant, inbound tourism, and media relations.

Meanwhile, our daughter Violante was on the way. There hadn’t really been a conscious decision to have a baby, either. My husband, Carlo, kept putting it off because he didn’t want to change our life as a couple, but then we went to Mexico; I caught “Montezuma’s Revenge”—traveller’s diarrhoea—which shifted my cycle, and I ended up pregnant. After a perfect pregnancy, Violante was born in the small hospital in Montalcino. She is the only member of the family born in the land of Brunello.

I arrived at the hospital at eight o’clock, and half an hour later, Violante was born. While most newborns are wrinkled, she was so beautiful she looked almost unreal. At first, she just ate and slept, but then our nights became a nightmare. When she finally slept for eight hours straight at the age of two, Carlo and I rushed to her crib to see what had happened. It was an experience that sealed our decision to let her remain an only child.

13 July 2026

in Characters and places, Forum: News and lifestyle

DONATELLA: THE UNCONVENTIONAL WIFE

DONATELLA ASKED HER FUTURE HUBAND TO MARRY HER AND THEY WENT ON TO SHARE A HAPPY MARRIAGE. NINE MONTHS IN LILLE, FRANCE, FOLLOWED BY LIFE IN 9 ITALIAN CITIES....

6 July 2026

DONATELLA AS A CHILD

I WAS A LONER, A TERRIBLE STUDENT, AND AN AVID READER. I WITNESSED THE TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE TRANSFORM FROM A STATE OF ABANDONMENT TO A RENAISSANCE DRIVEN BY WINE AND TOURISM

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

Donatella e la madre Francesca Colombini

Donatella and her mother Francesca Colombini

Many refer to the twentieth century as the “Short Century”—a term coined by British historian Eric Hobsbawm—due to the rapid pace of change; yet, in the early 1960s, it felt as though one were living in a nineteenth-century bubble. It was a world precariously balanced between the lingering past, the economic boom that was emptying the countryside, and social rituals that seemed destined to last forever—only to be swept away by the events of 1968.

As a young girl, I used to spend summers in Montalcino playing with the children of the neighbouring farmers, who would run around barefoot. In winter, back in Florence, boys and girls attended separate classes at the Ponte a Mensola elementary school; we girls wore white smocks with pink bows at our collars. Traffic and crime were low, and we children would walk home alone.

2 July 2026

DONATELLA’S HOUSE IN GOZO

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s hose in gozo, Malta

AN OLD STONE HOUSE WITH A BREATHTAKING VIEW OF MALTA AND AN INDOOR COURTYARD FOR DONATELLA’S HOLIDAYS. LOTS OF TRADITION, BUT ALSO WIFI AND AIR CONDITIONING.

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

Donatella’s house in Gozo boasts a breathtaking view of the strait that separates the island from Malta. This stretch of sea is frequented by ferries, cruise ships, fishermen, and yachts… sailing around the small island of Comino, with its romantic blue lagoon and the tower where The Count of Monte Cristo was filmed.

30 June 2026

FATTORIA DEL COLLE’S WEDDINGS IN 2026

ONLY VERY LARGE AND TRADITIONAL PLACES ALLOW COUPLES TO HAVE A UNIQUE WEDDING, DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS, FULL OF ROMANCE AND BEAUTY.

tavola imperiale per un pizza party Fattoria del Colle matrimonio in Toscana

Pizza party at Fattoria del Colle-Tuscan style wedding

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

This year, Fattoria del Colle is hosting 17 weddings, all different and all beautiful.

Some are minimalist, others boasted spectacular floral arrangements and displays.

We’ve had couples with photographers and set designers, Instagrammers, videographers, and a whole repertoire of sun glasses, dresses, and decorations to create images to post online. Others asked for absolute privacy, even from their guests, to preserve the intimacy of the most beautiful day of their love.

WHY WEDDINGS AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT

There are many ways to organize your wedding in a large venue with diverse and evocative spaces for the ceremony, aperitifs, dinner, cake cutting, and the closing party. At Fattoria del Colle, all couples have left happy and feeling like they’ve experienced a unique moment, uniquely theirs and unlike any other.

Of course, there are some places no one wants to miss out on, like the panoramic terrace above the winery. The Corten railing, reminiscent of the oak trees of the Val d’Orcia, frames a landscape of extraordinary beauty, and all newlyweds choose it for the ceremony or aperitifs. Another must-have, no one wants to miss out on, is the barn, restored a few years ago. The large windows feature state-of-the-art glass that keeps out sound, so you can dance until the wee hours without disturbing anyone. The light fountains, the harmonious architecture, the bar tender counter and the perfect air conditioning complete a very Tuscan atmosphere but perfect for parties.

18 June 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Not only wine...

TOSCANA LOVERS OPENS IN FLORENCE

THERE ARE NOW 4 “TOSCANALOVERS” BOUTIQUES WITH THE BEST TUSCAN CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR THE HOME WITH THE NEW FLORENCE STORE IN PIAZZA DEL DUOMO

Toscana Lovers Firenze

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

The new Toscana Lovers store opens in Florence, in the Palazzo dei Canonici di Santa Maria del Fiore, on the left side of Piazza del Duomo.

TUSCANA LOVERS IN FLORENCE IN A HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL LOCATION

The monumental entrance features columns and 19th-century statues celebrating Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed the Duomo in 1296, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the dome (1436), one of the most extraordinary works of the Renaissance. The Palazzo dei Canonici was built in the early 19th century by demolishing pre-existing buildings. Inside, the painted ceiling and walls were created for the visit of Pope Pius IX in 1857. After consecrating four Tuscan bishops, the Holy Father stopped here to receive the clergy and have his foot kissed. This visit also coincided with the laying of the cornerstone of the new façade of Santa Croce, one of the great religious projects of 19th-century Florence.

A space that for years housed the Duomo ticket office, so beautiful that it has required furnishings specifically designed by interior designer Lorella Salvi and handcrafted by the Siena-based firm OMIF. The walls, ceilings, and doors are protected as historical monuments. The result is extraordinarily elegant, as if it had always been there.

4 June 2026

IL DRAGO E LE 8 COLOMBE IGT TOSCANA 2022

WE WILL REMEMBER THE 2022 GRAPES FOR THE VERY SMALL BERRIES, WHICH FORCED DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI'S WINEMAKERS TO CHANGE THEIR USUAL WORKPLAN....

2 June 2026

LEONE ROSSO ORCIA DOC 2022

2022: THE YEAR IN WHICH THE GRAPES WERE THE SIZE OF CHICKPEAS AND THE MUST HAD ABUNDANT TANNINS THAT WERE MADE SILKY THROUGH A LONG MACERATION...

13 May 2026