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.

The vineyard demands dedication, keen powers of observation, intuition, and study. And this is not just for a short time, but constantly—especially for those aspiring to positions of responsibility.

HOW TO BECOME A GRAPE GROWER

Training a grape grower takes years of practice, and not everyone reaches a high level of proficiency. The learning process is akin to practicing basketball fundamentals: aspiring athletes repeat dribbling, shooting, and passing drills until they can execute them perfectly and automatically, allowing them to focus on the game itself.…

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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.

LA LEZIONE DELLA COCA COLA: USA LE EMOZIONI E NON LE NOZIONI

Al 19° QSP Summit che ha avuto luogo a Porto, in Portogallo, Islam Eldessouky, vicepresidente globale di Coca-Cola ha presentato la strategia creativa e i contenuti messi in campo dalla sua azienda. Tre quarti e il miliardo di dollari nella sponsorizzazione dei Mondiali di Calcio con una parola chiave: emozioni.

Chi guarda le partite prova 31 emozioni diverse che sono condivise e interpretate nei video con modifiche e differenze a seconda della cultura dei diversi Paesi dove gli spot vengono trasmessi.…

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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).

For instance, a Barolo or Brunello might be served at a “winter” temperature of around 17°C, whereas in summer, this can be lowered to 14°C. The wine becomes fresher and more drinkable, the alcohol is less perceptible, and the wine’s quality shines through more effectively. Winemakers also welcome this trend, which returns wine to “cellar temperature.” The only downside concerns wines with aggressive tannins; these can feel astringent at room temperature but become almost undrinkable when chilled.…

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

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.…

L'articolo CASATO PRIME DONNE A BRUNELLO WINERY AND MUCH MORE (2) sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

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.

WINERIES MUST EACH TELL THEIR OWN STORY

If you combine the uniformity of wine vessels with the similarity of explanations regarding production processes within a given appellation, you can understand why many visitors decline to visit two wineries in the same area—unless one boasts vastly distinctive features, such as a medieval castle, or has topped Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” list.

During my wine tourism lectures, I enjoy showing images of wineries from a specific region and asking, “Where do you think this is?” In most cases, the answer is “Tuscany,” as it represents the most imitated rural landscape model in the world.…

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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.…

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

Almost all the best decisions of my life were made on impulse. Including the decision to get married. Carlo Gardini and I had had a solid relationship for years. He had graduated with honours in Economics and Business, then chosen to join the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, entering a management training program that took him all over Italy to learn about every sector of the business. In 1978, shortly before the August 15^th celebration, Carlo called the personnel department to find out his next posting; he was told that, starting October 1st, he was to begin a nine-month stint in Lille, France.

A DECIDEDLY UNCONVENTIONAL MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

“My parents won’t let me come with you,” I said, thinking of the rigid formality of my own home. “We have to get married.” He hadn’t expected it and remarked, “How am I supposed to tell my parents?” The proposal itself had already been unconventional, but Carlo’s reaction went a step further and made me furious. Fortunately, he quickly pulled himself together, and we began a mad dash to get married and leave together. My mother refused to cancel her work commitments, so we were forced to move the wedding to a weekday.…

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

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.

THE SIXTIES: BALANCING FORMALITY AND CHANGE

I remember my grandmother Giuliana’s persistence in teaching my brother and me proper table manners, as well as her silver cutlery—which discouraged my classmates from visiting, as they would complain, “It’s so heavy I can’t eat.” This formal propriety wasn’t limited to my home, Montalcino, or Tuscany. I recall traveling to Valence, in Burgundy, when I was seventeen as part of an exchange program organized by the Siena Rotary Club; at my host family’s home, they would dine in formal evening wear.…

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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.

END OF THE SPECULATIVE BUBBLE, GENERATIONAL CHANGE, AND FEWER RICH WILLING TO SPEND SO MUCH

The point is that many investors have a good number of bottles of fine wines in their cellars—safes while the number of investors willing to buy them has declined.…

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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.

THE BIRTH AND INFLUENCE OF WINE SCORES

In this evolving landscape, the value of wine scores is also changing.

The success of the scores out of one hundred lies in its simplicity. The numbers are quick to understand and reduce the complexity of wine—regions, grape varieties, appellations, vintages—to something simple that needs no explanation and helps consumers avoid making mistakes in their choices. This need has become even more important with the advent of e-commerce.…

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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.…

L'articolo FEDERICO FELLINI AND DONATELLA sembra essere il primo su Cinelli Colombini.

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

The 2025 “Global Wine Tourism Report” has been commissioned by top-level clients, including the UN Tourism Organization, the OIV – International Organization of Vine and Wine, the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWC), and WineTourism.com. The scope is also vast, encompassing the entire world, with 1,310 wineries interviewed in 47 countries, but with a particular focus on Europe, which accounts for 70% of the sample, with Italy in a dominant position (17%).

PERHAPS TOO MANY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WINE TOURISM BUSINESS

Wineries are showing strong interest worldwide: two out of three wineries report that wine tourism is profitable or very profitable. This type of  tourism generates approximately a quarter of their total revenues. This percentage is likely higher in North America and smaller in Europe.

Confirming the expectations of all wine companies regarding wine tourism, it’s worth noting that half of the sample intends to invest, and the majority expects growth in both fluxes and business. Indeed, there’s a widespread belief that this type of  tourism is countercyclical, or at least more resilient, and therefore capable of boosting sales in times of crisis.

Among Europeans, there’s greater reluctance to develop wine tourism. 57% of wineries not open to the public attribute this to a lack of staff, while among non-European wineries, the percentage drops to 30%.…

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