Vines and wines

Brunello wins the China Award together with Juventus and Pasotti

Two awards in one week for the Montalcino producers; here they get recognition as an Italian excellence with the award given by the “Fondazione Italia Cina e Milano Finanza”

Donatella Cinelli Colombini_China Awards

Palazzo Clerici, one of the most beautiful buildings in Milan, with its frescoed halls with lots of golden stucco decorations, is the frame for the China Awards organized by Milano Finanza and by the Fondazione Italia Cina with Cesare Romiti as President. The award giving took place during a charity dinner to collect funds for a hospital on tracks –Life Line Express – which travels through the remotest regions in Asia curing those who suffer from cataracts, about 400.000 people suffer from this condition every year.

So, a very important evening, with all of Milan’s high society present, the Mayor Giuliano Pisapia included. Among the awarded there were 26 Italians, and 3 Chinese societies, divided into seven categories. The Brunello wine was the first to be awarded in a section created this year and which regards those who represent Italian excellence in China.
<<For the last seven years the China Awards are the occasion to give recognition to the successes achieved by Italian companies>> said Cesare Romiti in his introductive speech. In fact the list of winners was really impressive, with societies who told stories of vast expansion with great business figures and fantastic production centres. There were even those who had the entire managing staff come over from China to take part in the ceremony. Consequently the event was a big one and Brunello was among the main protagonists also thanks to its brand fame.
In the same section as the Montalcino wine prizes went to Cucinelli, the Fratelli Rossetti and to Vincenzi Group.

Brunello wins the Foreign Press award in Italy

Donatella Cinelli Colombini on the Gambero Rosso stage receives the award from Foreign Press and tells of Brunello magic

Donatella Cinelli Colombini receives the prize awarded to Brunello

The “Gruppo del gusto”, born in 2002 reunites 118 journalists from 30 foreign nations and interested in wine & food, chooses every year 4 excellencies and the award living takes place during a gala dinner that this year took place at the Città del Gusto in Rome. This is an exceptional year, because of the conjuncture of the Foreign Press centenary and the decennial celebration of the “Gruppo del Gusto” coordinated by Alfredo Tesio.

So this event was such a success, as never before, with the public of journalists also standing in every area of the theatre.
Even though it seems incredible this is the first award given to the Consorzio del Brunello in 45 years of activity so receiving it was enormously exciting, as was going on stage of the Teatro del Gusto del Gambero Rosso. A mythical place! These were the winners: for production Pastificio Luca from Corte Croera (BL) the highest in Italy at 1450 metres above sea level in Cadore.

The 100 places in Italy that make women happy

A guide book for women where Susan Van Allen describes 100 exclusive or particular places among which Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino [caption id="attachment_7437" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Susan Van Allen and Donatella Cinelli Colombini"][/caption] The tile is very original “100 places in Italy every woman should go” (www.travelerstales.com pp. 443 $ 19,95) and it contains the description of places where women are welcomed and cared for or where something can touch their heart. Following this criterion Susan Van Allen has chosen gardens, beaches, beauty centres, coffee shops, stores, weddings and even mothers…… always with a vigilant eye and without being influenced by the...

Toscana tourism and wine tourism are superstars

Tuscany is the region most sold by USA tour operators and the second most sold region by European, Canadian, Japanese and Australian tour operators

Santa_Maria_della_Scala_Siena

In other words Tuscany, Dante and Michelangelo’s land, once again confirms that it is rich in appeal for foreign visitors coming to Italy and that most of all it is able to satisfy their interests which, looking at the statistics, are in order of importance, art cities, itineraries and wine and food. Three sectors where Tuscany is well ahead.

If we concentrate our attention on the attractiveness of wines, and food we notice that the most interested are the Americans with 34% of preferences, followed straight away by the Australians (33%) and then by the Japanese (12%) the same nationalities of the most numerous tour operators active in commercializing Tuscany. The fame and rich offer of the wine districts in Tuscany – Chianti and Brunello above all – plays a decisive role in this game and creates a “ shop window effect” which also helps the exporting of wines.

It’s worth remembering that Tuscany is the first among wine and food tourist destinations Tripadvisor 2012. To prove the enormous power of this region on the foodies touristic destinations both Censis (44% of preferences) and the web survey by WineNews del 2012 put Tuscany at the top of the main wine tourism destinations.

Montreal is a city for gluttons and for Cenerentola

A real ovation for Cenerentola Doc Orcia wine which has actually stole the show from Brunello in the Quebec capital

Montreal Graziella's restaurant- Tartar

Montreal is the city which, in the whole world, has the highest density of restaurants per inhabitant, and wonderful restaurants they are too, and what wine experts!!! So many sommeliers and an expertise regarding the wines from all over the world. Montreal unites American organization qualities to French tastefulness. The result is out of this world, a beautiful city, easy to live in and a glutton for nice food. Because the high rated restaurants are smaller and reasonably priced than those in New York, but have such a high quality level in the service and in the kitchen. The preparation of food is “ a vista” so quite visible, in quite small kitchens with respect to the number of meals prepared and the amount of dishes on the menu. Apparently everything is done on the spot with fresh ingredients.

Montalcino puts out its flags for the Sagra del tordo event

The last Sunday in October, so this year on the 28th, Montalcino always relives the era of when it was a rich medieval centre with dames, knights and archers [caption id="attachment_7346" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Montalcino-Festival of the Thush-historic-cortège"][/caption] The Sagra del tordo (Festival of the Thrush) is for the inhabitants of Montalcino a festivity to be spent with the family. The 4 Quartieri (quarters) into which the village is divided - Borghetto, Pianello, Ruga and Travaglio- are active all year round with dinners, event for the elderly and children, exhibitions, trips and other activities for the members. With two fixed dates, in October and in...

Brunello wine conquers the Council of Europe

An event in Strasbourg presents pictures and tastes of Val d’Orcia to the delegates of the Coucil of Europe: town of art, Brunello wine and pecorino cheese

DonatellaCinelliColombini-presents-Brunello wine-to the Council of Europe

If the European Union is the politic and economic brain of our continent, the Council of Europe is the birthplace of its values. The place where the local autorithies get together to share principles to be spead all over the countries.
Strasbourg is the best place for this kind of institution, the german border is only 10 km far away and the city is a multicultural one and a mixture of the perfect german organisation and the french sense of beautiful with its gothic cathedral with the stained glass window, the pinnacles and the arches. The building of the Council of Europe is the modern version of the same architectural shape. An harmonius complex of huge spaces realized to satisfy their functions.

Italian dessert wine: Vin Santo del Chianti D.O.C. 2005

Donatella Cinelli Colombini’ s Vin Santo cellar is under the roof of the 16th century villa in the centre of Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda in southern Chianti

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Two rooms which are warm in the summer and cold in the winter where the amber sweet wine ages slowly in barrels of various ages and sizes: from 50 to 200 litres. The visitors can visit these rooms going up a staircase at the end of the wine cellar. Here one can see the old Vin Santo from Fattoria del Colle labels designed by Vittorio Zani, the graphic artist also designer of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena logo. On the walls of these rooms are splendid photographs by Giuseppe Cucco which develop a study regarding the image of food carried out by Vincenzo Pagano. The 2005 vintage had a variable climate which however permitted the production of fan excellent harvest whose distinctive characteristic was the very high acidity of the grapes. Traditionally every year the Vin Santo clusters are picked before the rest and are chosen one by one. Put into crates, which are piled one on top of one another, the grapes get moved every day according to the sun the humidity and the aeration. A very time consuming job possible only thanks to the passion that Barbara Magnani the cellar master has for sweet wines.

Grape harvest is finished and we are waiting for the 5 star

The 2012 vintage has been incredible; Donatella Cinelli Colombini went from pure terror because of the drought to full scale enthusiasm for the extraordinary Brunello grapes picked.

Donatella with grapes

A cold winter, with snowfalls which blocked people in their homes for a whole month, but also a dry winter where even the snow left very little humidity in the soil.

So, the 2012 summer has been preceded by a long period of about 12 months of dryness with rare showers, and that means with half the usual amount of 700 mm of rainfall which we usually get in this part of Tuscany. This is where it starts to get interesting! From June onwards 3 months without a single drop of rain with temperatures above average but most of all a sky that was always so clear, so the hours of sunlight were always very many every day. This type of situation has greatly troubled the grape growers. The trimming of the shoots were modest and the leaves nearest the clusters were left to protect them from the sun. The vineyard was hoed so as to maintain the humidity underground, the clusters were thinned out twice so that in the end there really were very few.

95, 92, 90 the scores for the Brunello wines of Donatella Cinelli Colombini

In addition to the 95 points for the Brunello Riserva 2006 and being on top of the Highly Recommended list, the "Wine Spectator" also highlights and rewards the Brunello wine and the Brunello Prime Donne 2007 [caption id="attachment_7269" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Brunello_Riserva_PrimeDonne_DonatellaCinelliColombini"][/caption] When Donatella Cinelli Colombini opened the "Wine Spectator" dated 30th September she found that her Brunello Riserva 2006 is the top of the "Spectator selections". This is her dream come true. Every manufacturer hopes to see her wine in that magical place at least once in her career and Donatella has now achieved it. But there was also other good news, a...

An anticipated grape harvest for Brunello and Doc Orcia

In Donatella Cinelli Colombini vineyards the clusters are scarce and it will have to be further diminished with the “green harvest” so as to help the thirsty vines [caption id="attachment_7144" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Fattoria-del-Colle-inspection in the vineyards-Valérie-Lavigne"][/caption] To be sure this grape harvest with be anticipated and scarce! What is still to be seen in the level of quality which will depend on the rain foreseen for the end of August. The vines are thirsty. Especially where there is more soil skeletal and a better position. So the change in climate is completely turning over the classification of best vineyards and in 2012...

Brunello wine at the Olympic Games

Brunello wine from 49 wineries inMontalcino in Casa Italia in London, in front of Westminster Abbey for the Olympic Games [caption id="attachment_7085" align="alignleft" width="299" caption="Foil-Olympic Games-London-2012"][/caption] In the splendid building where the Italian Olympic champions are celebrated there were also bottles of Brunello accompanied by Stefano Campatelli director of the Consorzio del Brunello. The Montalcino wine has taken part in this Olympic kermes in the space occupied by the Enoteca Italiana through the Ministero delle Politiche agricole. The extraordinary wine from Montalcino has brought good luck to the women's team foil quartet – Valentina Vezzali, Elisa Di Francisca, Arianna Errigo and Ilaria...

Decanter recommends Brunello 2007 Prime Donne

“Decanter” puts Brunello Prime Donne 2007 among the Highly Recommended and Master of Wine Rosemary George chooses it among her three favourites

Brunello Prime Donne 2007

The prestigious English wine magazine “Decanter” called “the world’s best wine magazine” and is esteemed and consulted by buyers and wine lovers al lover the world. In its August edition it has published a beautiful article regarding Brunello di Montalcino 2007 choosing 117 preferred labels. The tasters who worked on the Brunello are three great experts Richard Baudains Italian correspondent for the magazine, he knows the Montalcino territory very well and come at least once a year, Jane Hunt and Rosemary George are two Masters of Wine who know and love Italian wines. Our Brunello 2007 Prime Donne has been inserted among the 42 highly recommended and has obtained excellent ratings especially from the two women -respectively 18,5 and 17 out of 20- quite foreseeable in fact as this wine is produced by, chosen by, and dedicated to women.