Casato Prime Donne Montalcino Tag

WHO ARE DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S GRAPE GROWERS?

EFISIO, DAVIDE, SIMONA, PAOLA, DANIELE, LUCIA, ELIA, KULBIR, MANIJNDER, EMANUELE, SAMIR. SULMAN, ENRICO, NOUREDDINE, AHMED THESE ARE DONATELLA’S GRAPE GROWERS

Vignaioli in vendemmia Casato Prime Donne Montalcino Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Grape growers during the harvest Casato Prime Donne Montalcino Donatella Cinelli Colombini

There are fifteen of them, and—with few exceptions—they have been the same for years. The vineyard is the only department within Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s companies where women are in the minority: there are only five. This is because the work requires physical strength and an aptitude for mechanics; indeed, only one woman—Simona De Gregorio—drives the tractor, whereas at least four of the men are able to do so.

A GRAPE GROWER’S WORK IS THE FRUIT OF PRACTICE AND INGENUITY

Years ago, underachieving students were often scolded with the phrase, “If you don’t want to study, go hoe the fields,” implying that agricultural work required no great intelligence—merely the repetition of actions and practices passed down orally.

In short, working on the land was seen as fit only for the bottom of the class. Today, that is no longer the case—or at least, not in viticulture.

27 August 2026

COCA COLA CI INSEGNA IL VALORE DELLE EMOZIONI

ROBERT JOSEPH HA PUBBLICATO SU LINKEDIN UN POST INTITOLATO “WORLD CUP LESSONS TO LEARN FROM COCA COLA” LA LEZIONE DA IMPARARE DA COCA COLA SUI MONDIALI DI CALCIO

Coca Cola è un esempio di capacità comunicativa che può insegnare molto al vino

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

Il post inizia con un pistolotto che mi apre il cuore: ogni volta che Robert Joseph cerca di parlare di Coca Cola o McDonald’s a chi si occupa di vino riceve insulti <<Perché mai dovresti dare ascolto a qualcuno della Coca-Cola o di McDonald’s? Sono entrambi prodotti e aziende orribili, e non hanno nulla a che fare con il vino>>. Quante volte è successo anche a me!
Il punto è che colossi industriali come Coca Cola o McDonald’s hanno esperti di livello stellare. Professionisti che il vino non può permettersi e imparare da loro permette di affrontare le sfide che il vino ha di fronte con soluzioni più nuove e originali. In altre parole copiare costa meno che creare soluzioni in autonomia ed è anche meno rischioso.
Ed ecco a voi la lezione.

11 August 2026

in Forum: News and lifestyle, Vines and wines

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).

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.

13 May 2026

HOW THE FINE WINES MARKET IS CHANGING

IS A GENERATIONAL CHANGE ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THE DECLINE IN INTEREST IN INVESTMENT WINES? WITH THE END OF THE SPECULATIVE BUBBLE, IS IT NECESSARY TO GO BACK TO DRINKING FINE WINES?

Hedonism London cult store for fine wines

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

Fine wines are investment wines, managed like stocks, diamonds, or stamps. They’re wines that aren’t drunk but rather stored in safes to be resold at a higher price. This market is currently experiencing significant difficulties, especially for French wines, which traditionally dominate the market.

THE DRINKS BUSINESS IN SEARCH OF THE DARK EVIL OF FINE WINES

The Drinks Business interviewed some of the leading experts in this sector, first and foremost Liv-ex, a British portal similar to Nasdaq. The latter provides real-time charts, technical analysis, components, and quotes for stocks, while Liv.ex does the same for fine wines. I quote Max Lalondrelle’s exact words: “There’s something fundamentally wrong with the way we sell fine wines right now.”

What is this mistake? Those who buy a wine on reservation and then see it arrive on the market at a lower price get angry and realize that paying in advance isn’t worth it. This is why the speculative system has broken down and investments have fallen.

1 May 2026

ARE WINE SCORES STILL USEFUL?

THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH IN AN ERA WHERE CONSUMERS SEEK IN WINE, AS IN EVERYTHING THEY BUY, A REPRESENTATION OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR VALUES.

Kostantin Baum MW wine scores

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

Today, critics are no longer the only ones who pass judgment on wines; there are sommeliers, wine educators, influencers, retailers, algorithms, and ordinary consumers who post their opinions on portals. Furthermore, many consumers, especially young ones, prioritize values such as sustainability, authenticity, and wine’s ability to narrate a story rather than “quality.” This is an abstract concept that perhaps less closely aligns with their need to represent themselves through what they eat, what they wear, or the style of their place of residence.

For this reason, “the authority once placed in a single score appears increasingly unstable,” writes Konstantin Baum, Germany’s youngest Master of Wine. The notes below are largely taken from his WineSearcher article, which I encourage you to read.

17 March 2026

in Characters and places, Not only wine...

FEDERICO FELLINI AND DONATELLA

MY MEETINGS WITH FEDERICO FELLINI AND THE CHARM OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN WHO LOOKED ORDINARY WHO TRANSFORMED ORDINARY THINGS IN EXTRAORDINARY WAYS

Federico Fellini with
his wife and the Guidotti and Cinelli Colombini families

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

I’m talking about events that occurred about fifty years ago. Federico Fellini often came to my mother’s winery in Montalcino, thanks to our mutual friendship with Mario Guidotti, a journalist and cultural promoter. After the first, more formal visits, Italy’s greatest director began arriving unannounced, like a member of the family.

The problem was that, often, my parents were away, and I had to welcome Fellini alone. I was very young and lived a very bourgeois and decidedly provincial existence between Montalcino and Siena. I was used to meeting intellectuals and famous people because my family had always had that kind of association, but Federico Fellini was decidedly in another league.

That man was a legend, a world-renowned genius with five Academy Awards. His fame was so immense that it would have intimidated people far more skilled than me. I was incredibly nervous in front of him, my hands were sweating, I couldn’t sit still, and above all, I could only say a few polite words, but I didn’t know how to communicate with him; I felt like I had nothing interesting to say. What a shame!

Federico Fellini and his wife Giulietta Masina would come to Tuscany for the beneficial “waters” in Chianciano. From there, they travelled to Montalcino to break the monotony of the treatments and perhaps even indulge a bit. They were often accompanied by Mario Guidotti or the then-very young Fabio Carlesi.

4 December 2025

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