Forum: News and lifestyle

Jancis Robinson magazine gives recognition to the Brunello 2008

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Brunello 2008 among the three preferred by Jancis Robinson super taster and obtains 17,5 points out of 20

The European ratings are expressed out of 20 and not out of 100 as is done in the US, plus they are much more rigid so to achieve 16 or 17 is a first rate outcome. So a vast amount of the 230 Brunello tasted by the super taster Walter Speller – a sort of 007 at the service of Her Majesty Jancis Robinson, queen of the wine experts – have reached this excellent result.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s Brunello 2008 rates higher with its 17,5 points, third in his podium. This is his description <<Lacklustre mid ruby with orange rim. Sweet and concentrated and quite closed at the same time. Hint of leather. Chewy tannin framing fresh cherry fruit. Muscular and yet not heavy. (WS)>>.
The rating for the Brunello 2008 Prime Donne is wonderful too 16,5/20 and good for the Brunello Riserva 2007 which obtains 16/20.

Robert Parker leaves Wine Advocate. Changes are coming, but which ones?

On December 9th we get news of the putting on sale of Wine Advocate and now we hear that the new owners are among the major distributors of luxury wines in Asia

Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Since 1978 the bimonthly magazine belonging to Robert Parker Jr has been a cult for lovers of great wines all over the world. This magazine owns its fame and its enormous influence to its absolutely independent character. Printing in two colours, no publicity, absolutely impartial ratings, and great competence in the tastings …. In other words Wine Advocate deserved respect at the first glance.

Everybody expected a rotation and that Robert Parker Jr would have left his creation in the hands of the super expert taster Antonio Galloni. Everything made one think that through the succession there would have been continuity, but now this rotation seems to revolutionize the bases of the famous lawyer’s newsletter.

The new owners are from Singapore and they will put in charge of Wine Advocate Ms. Lisa Perrotti Brown transforming the paper newsletter -which will continue at least for all of 2013- into a digital bulletin.  Wine Advocate will accept advertisements even though not those advertising wineries.

The giants'rating in the wine world

The new rating of the big names is monopolized by the new world and must make us reflect on the fragility of the Italian production system

A recent article on the English magazine “The drink business” proposes a new rating of the best worldwide wineries and puts the Gallo Winery on the throne, followed immediately by Concha y Toro. The number of bottles produced make you dizzy with a billion pieces the first and 81 million the tenth of the world top 10. Among them no Italian producer, practically all USA and Australia.

The rating regarding income made a few months ago by Mediobanca showed a more diversified panorama with French, Chinese, South African Chilean, German and even Italian groups like GIV Cantine Riunite in seventh position. At the top of the Costellation Brand (USA) in a dominant position and at a great distance from the others tank to its annual sales of 2.494.000.000 €. Straight after with its 1.664 million in business, is the very prestigious multinational luxury company LVMH belonging to Bernard Arnault. Two societies which seem to have disappeared according to the English rating.

Baccarat has revolutionized wine glass design with the ‘Chateau glass’

A prestigious location and a dinner at the restaurant Arnolfo in Colle di Val d’ Elsa, which is well worthy of its 2 Michelin stars and where we experienced the debut of the Chateau wine glass from Baccarat

Albiera Antinori, Cesare Cecchi, Marco Pallanti and Abbruzzese Lucia were all at the lunch. Wonderful authentic culinary masterpieces created by Gaetano Trovato arrived at the table, all of which were served with impeccable style by his brother Giovanni: a choice of Blue Lobster Risotto with Lemon and Saffron from San Gimignano or Cinta Senese Pork with Red cabbage and Beetroot. A dream lunch, with stunning wines such as an almost twenty year old Ornellaia, which we tasted in glasses which were designed and created in 2011 by one of the most ancient and famous crystal producers in the world.

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

Read for you by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

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….

2 anniversaries and 15 stars for Benvenuto Brunello 2012 2 anniversaries and 15 stars for Benvenuto Brunello 2012

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.

Women like more expensive wines

The price of wine influences men less than women. Its seems that women, on the other hand, find a more expensive wine nicer By Bonella Ciacci and Donatella Cinelli Colombini [caption id="attachment_4297" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Vinitaly Donne del vino"][/caption] This is the result of a survey published by “Journal of Wine Economics” (2011,VI, n°1, pp 111-121) based on an experiment carried by Johan Almenberg and Anna Dreber respectively of the Ministry of Finance and of the Institute of Financial Research in Stockholm on 135 students and researchers of the universities of Boston, Cambridge and Massachusetts, a sample, which according to the experts, seemed representative...

The bottles commemorating the Unification of Italy reach Siena

Here is “UNA” the wine dedicated to the unification of Italy. The two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bottles, one of red wine and one of white, contain small amounts of wine obtained from 40 autochthonous grape varieties 40 from our country, two per region. For Tuscany the variety chosen was Sangiovese and the wine used was Brunello di Montalcino

The wines celebrating the Unification of Italy are consequently a summary, or a blend as the winemakers may say, which symbolically unites the Italian vine growing world.

Catania delicious city

Catania’s extraordinary richness in food at the table, and for the road, transforms a normal trip into a gastronomic adventure...

Brunello becomes the renovation of a painting

On Sunday December 18th in Montalcino the Quartiere Ruga  has inaugurated the renovation of the Adorazione dei Magi painting, financed by the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino and Donatella Cinelli Colombini was there. The painting dating back to the 17th century, from the Sienese School of painting, is particularly loved by the members of the Quartiere Ruga, because their symbol has been taken from the comet portrayed. The comet which lights up our way explains Maddalena Sanfilippo an art historian and member of the Quartiere Ruga.

Buonconvento, good convents bad friars, between Montalcino and Trequanda

Along the journey between Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and Fattoria del Colle one finds Buonconvento a medieval village with a great history and beautiful town-walls...