Donatella Cinelli Colombini Tag

SUSTAINABILITY IN WINE

Many wineries are committed to sustainability but few are capable of communicating it because they make ethical choices out of conviction and not out of marketing

Sustainability in wine : more real but less communicated – Fattoria del Colle – Tuscany

The situation is reversed but resembles that of Giulio Cesare’s wife, Pompea when her lover, Claudius, entered their home during the celebrations in honour of the goddess Bona. In the divorce process Cesare made no mention of the fact and when asked for a reason he replied that his wife should not even be touched by the suspicion.

Which meant that it was not enough that she was honest but she also had to appear honest.

SUSTAINABILITY IN WINE IS REAL BUT LESS COMMUNICATED

As regards to sustainability in wine, the reverse is true. As WineNews rightly titled << Sustainability in wine in Italy: many do it, fewer communicate it well >>.

4 August 2022

in Farm experiences

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

FATTORIA DEL COLLE A TREASURE CHEST OF VALUES TO PRESERVE

Tradition, history, nature, craftsmanship … Fattoria del Colle in the most panoramic and intact Tuscan countryside is dedicated to the preservation of these values

Orcia DOC Winery Fattoria del Colle

As some people may already know, I am an art historian who has become a grape grower. For this reason I take the liberty of writing a little note on the concept of conservation and restoration. It is a very ancient practice but until the mid-twentieth century the works of art – especially paintings and architecture – were integrated with ruined parts and “updated” with respect to the fashion. In other words, they were “embellished” but substantially falsified. Cesare Brandi was the father of modern restoration that must not << commit an artistic forgery or a historical forgery, and without erasing all traces of the passage of the work of art over time >> in other words, conservation must safeguard the integrity of the works.

22 July 2022

Feminine Grape varieties and male wines by Daniele Cernilli

It’s a game but up to a certain point: the vine, the vineyard, the grape, the rooted vine are feminine nouns in Italian but the word vino (wine) is male like most of the appellations

Vigneto Glera-per-il-Prosecco

Today 55% of regular Italian wine consumers are women. The fairer sex is the majority among those who book visits to wineries …. but wine has a masculine connotation because, for 8,000 years it has been produced and drunk by men.
Daniele Cernilli- Doctor Wine with the cultured irony that distinguishes him starts from this point for a semi-serious but very intriguing reasoning << Grammar sometimes plays bad jokes. We are used to thinking of wine as something masculine, “the” Barolo, “the” Brunello, “the” Taurasi, but there are vines and wines declined in the feminine and who knows this might also coincide with their characteristics … >>

FEMALE VINES AND MALE WINES A GENDER INTRIC THAT MIGHT REVEAL SOMETHING

The “gender” examination of the appellations, for me, starts from the decidedly female Doc Orcia because << the most beautiful wine in the world >> is born on hills with sinuous profiles. These are the sexiest and most similar views to a woman’s body that Tuscany and perhaps Italy possesses.

7 July 2022

in Characters and places

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

See, Feel, Taste Val d’Orcia

“See, feel and taste the Val d’Orcia” beautiful book by Anastasia Kellermann, American-Dutch debut writer with a Tuscan heart

Anastasia-Kellermann-shows-the-cover-of-her-book-See-Feel-Taste-Val-d’Orcia

Presented at the Pieve di Vitaleta between Pienza and San Quirico d’Orcia, the book by Anastasia Kellermann takes us into her “Tuscan dream” made of flavours and people, fairy-tale places and breath-taking sunsets in what seems to be a land blessed by God for its mysterious harmony between excellence and simplicity, nature and art, lifestyle and work.

VAL D’ORCIA SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A DUTCH AMERICAN WITH A TUSCAN HEART

The following is the preface I wrote for the book “See Feel Taste Val d’Orcia” and reflects the importance and novelty of this beautiful book of exciting photos and texts.

17 June 2022

When the vineyard doesn’t make grapes

“Old vineyard makes good wine” says the proverb but only by following three main rules: replace failures, maintain the structure, renew the cordon

Old-vineyards-qualities-and-defects

“The old vines do not make grapes” say many producers and so they uproot it. But it is a mistake. By doing so, they will never produce excellent wines and there is also a way to keep them well. The more the years pass, the more failures increase and the more problems arise related to viruses, damage caused by cultivation tools or neglect in maintaining structures, or errors in soil management. This is especially true for those who use chemicals that reduce the vitality of the earth or heavy tools that compact the soil and asphyxiate the roots. Practices that push the root system of the vines upwards also have similar effects, making them vulnerable to water stress.

9 June 2022

in Vines and wines

ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2020, 5 STARS

In Montalcino, for the first time, there have been 3 extraordinary harvests 2019, 2020 and 2021 one after the other. The one in the middle is extraordinary for its bouquet and full taste

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Never before has there been such a favorable sequence. A great gift for winemakers but also a great challenge because the three vintages had very different characteristics and therefore had to be interpreted in a different way.

2020 started badly with a small frost during the bud (18-23 March) which reduced the quantity of grapes. The winter was mild and arid. The rain came in June in a very abundant way, throughout the month. The heat began in mid-July and lasted until September with almost no rain but with a strong difference in temperature between night and day. At the time of harvest, the grapes were very small, perfectly ripe and with totally lignified seeds. They gave rise to colourful and fragrant musts with the typical crunchiness of the great Sangiovese vintages.

Rosso di Montalcino 2020 comes from the same ORGANIC vineyards as Brunello. The winemakers at Casato Prime Donne, just before the harvest, divide the vineyards into small plots, by tasting the grapes. Those to be used for the Rosso di Montalcino must have a good component of polyphenols and potential alcohol but lower than those that will produce the wine destined for long aging. Rosso di Montalcino must in fact give satisfaction to those who drink it in the first years of life.

26 May 2022

OFFER: A CELEBRATION OF THE 2016 VINTAGE

An opportunity not to be missed especially for the friends of Donatella’s Club. Purchase two of Casato Prime Donne’s premium wines at once, from the same vintage, and rated at 5 stars

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The 2016 vintage is << the best vintage of an entire generation >>. This is said by Bruce Sanderson, senior editor of Wine Spectator, , a prestigious American magazine in the wine sector. According to Bruce, the Brunellos from 2016 are the most interesting wines since the 1990s.

This vintage of Brunello has also been called the year of wonders, of real masterpieces destined to make the history of the appellation, one more reason to grab and keep as many bottles of this vintage as possible, to enjoy it today as in 20 years.

3 bottles Brunello Prime Donne 2016

3 bottles Brunello Riserva 2016

2 vacuum pumps to be able to enjoy the bottle even a few days later

22 April 2022

OFFER: LEONE ROSSO 2019 DOC ORCIA – 5 STARS

A unique opportunity for the friends of Donatella’s Club. Personalize three of the twelve bottles of Leone Rosso DOC Orcia purchased to be able to donate them to friends with a special label

Donatella-and-Violante-Cinelli-Colombini-present-the-Leone-Rosso-DOC-Orcia-2019

We present the 2019 vintage, classified 5 stars, of this Doc Orcia that comes from a small and exclusive production born in the vineyards, vinified and aged in cask at Fattoria del Colle, in Tuscany. Born on the hills 400 meters above sea level near Montalcino, Montepulciano and Cortona.

The Leone Rosso Doc Orcia wine is a very versatile wine that can accompany the entire meal. It is also particularly suitable to match with cold cuts and young cheeses. It adapts well to intense and even spicy foods.

Exclusively for you, 3 bottles with 3 labels to customize to celebrate a dear friend or an anniversary. For example, if Francesco invites you to his birthday, you can take a bottle with a bespoke label.

12 bottles of Leone Rosso Orcia DOC 2019

3 customizable labels

3 shopping bags with logo

SANGIOVESE WITH MERLOT FOR A BLEND OF ELEGANCE AND SOFTNESS

This wine contains Sangiovese and Merlot grapes resulting in a typically Tuscan elegance and silky softness.

Much appreciated for its drinkability by wine lovers and by the wine critics of Wine Spectator, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast who, in recent years, have given excellent ratings of 90/100 and even higher.

14 April 2022

in Vines and wines

Cenerentola Orcia Doc 2018

First certified BIO organic vintage of Doc Orcia Cenerentola for a year of giant stature. An intense, complex, velvety and impressive wine like a thick silk velvet, which reveals a superior consistency to the touch

Toscana-Orcia-Doc-Cenerentola-2018-Fattoria-del-Colle-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini

A surprising result in a surprising year that asked the winemakers for all their commitment. In spring they also worked on Sundays to keep the grapes healthy from the attacks of downy mildew triggered by the alternation between rain and very hot days. Even the flowering was disturbed by the perturbations causing the reduction in the size and number of the clusters.

THE CRAZY CLIMATE OF 2018 A YEAR OF INCESSIVE RAIN

The number of rainy days in 2018 is impressive: 16 in January, 16 in February, 20 in March, 11 in April and 18 in May. The amount of rain was also impressive. At the end of May, the Fattoria del Colle was also hit by a “water bomb” which flooded the historic cellar where the barrels are located. After mid-August, an icy perturbation arrived that whitened the mountains and stiffened the cells of the grape skins.

2018 VINTAGE BLESSED BY THE SUN OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

Meteorologists had predicted a sunny September but after a summer with an umbrella no one believed them.

Grape-Harvest-2018-Donatella-Cinelli-Colombini

Instead the sun came, giving a helping hand to the harvest. The vines were de-leafed in the “old way” and the calibre of the berries returned to normal and the accumulation of sugar gradually increased.
In Donatella Cinelli Colombini‘s vineyards we bet on the sun and decided to do a harvest like our “grandparents, as was the custom 50 years ago. We picked the least promising grapes first, leaving the best in the sun as long as possible. A heart-pounding situation because of the adverse weather forecasts which, fortunately, turned out to be wrong. The harvest proceeded in the sun. The rain came the day after the harvest ended. The quality of Cinderella 2018 is in our winemaker courage.

8 April 2022

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

VINITALY 2022 UNDER THE BANNER OF WOMEN

Two years of Covid stand still and a super Vinitaly full of exhibitors and foreign buyers. The real protagonists are women: Donne del Vino… and not only

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Obviously there are the masks, the access limits to the stands …. But Vinitaly restarts stronger than before and pleasantly different with a greater use of electronics in the intersection between wineries and foreign buyers. 4,400 companies, 19 nations, 700 top buyers, 17 pavilions, 30 conferences, 76 tastings.
We like it!

VINITALY 2022 FOR MY WINERIES – HALL 6 STAND D4

I have an invitation to the wonderful inaugural show dinner dedicated to La Grande Bellezza with dishes by Davide Oldani!

1 April 2022

If you believe it you will win

How the belief that you can succeed helps you sell more. Vincenzo Russo explains with neuroscience how a positive attitude increases the chances of success

If you believe it you will win-self-confidence-key of success

It has been known for some time in sport as well as in work. If you believe it, you will win.

Who hasn’t seen the coaches talking to the players in the locker room before the match and convincing them that victory is within their reach?
Who hasn’t envied the self-confident colleague who manages to get more results than those who are better than him?
For this, awareness of one’s skills and talent are very important. <<Neuroscience has shown that thinking of being able to do it creates neural connections that produce a synergy of thought by formulating ideas or proposals>> Vincenzo Russo explained to Trebicchieri Economic weekly by Gambero Rosso. << Thinking instead of not succeeding, reduces the thinking activity and enlarges the perception of the problem by pushing the subjects to look for good reasons to give up>>.

2 March 2022

in Farm experiences

Fattoria del Colle is waiting for you for Easter 2022

A program with 2 Tours with itinerant tastings, vertical tasting of 6 Brunello, lesson on typical cakes, photo safari for Easter 2022

Tuscany-Fattoria-del-Colle-winery-corten-steel-rail

Fattoria del Colle reopens its doors for Easter. In the splendid scenery of the most intact Tuscany, where the great red wines for ageing are born, tourists will be able to live four days full of engaging and exciting experiences. Returning home, they will discover that they have learned so much about the history, the wines – Brunello, Orcia, Chianti Superiore, Supertuscan – the foods and even the traditional herbs of Tuscany.

EASTER 2022 AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE

The long Easter weekend – from Good Friday to Easter Monday – allows you to regenerate with “landscape therapy” BIO -organic vineyards and olive groves, three equipped parks, paths where you can go trekking or stop to enjoy views of extraordinary beauty.

Tuscany-Fattoria-del-Colle-restaurant

The Fattoria del Colle is like a small rural hamlet with a chapel and a villa built in the 16th century surrounded by farmhouses. They have been transformed into apartments and rooms for tourists while maintaining the intimacy of the past thanks to the furnishings of authentic local antiques.
There is a restaurant, the old barn with the banquet hall, the cooking school and the natural wellness area where wellness lovers can enjoy massages and wine therapy for couples.

18 February 2022

in Characters and places, Forum: News and lifestyle

OFFER: BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2017 TO TASTE, TO GIFT AND TO PAIR

Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne is produced only in the best vintages. It is a small selection of about 3,000 bottles destined for high-level restaurants and wine bars around the world

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BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE: THE FIRST BRUNELLO PRODUCED AND DESIGNED FOR WOMEN

In fact, the winery that produces it, Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, is the first in Italy with an all-female staff, including winemakers, and is the first long cellaring red wine that is followed, from birth to bottling, by a panel of 4 very expert international tasters: a winemaker Astrid Schwarz, a sommelier Daniela Scrobogna, and two Masters of Wine Rosemary George and Madeleine Stenwreth. It is they who choose the wine from the different Sangiovese Brunello vineyards, decide the type of oak barrels and finally the blend of the wine from several wooden casks.

Obviously, Brunello Prime Donne is also very popular with men and has excellent ratings in the main international press. This is a gastronomic wine that should be accompanied with important dishes such as large pieces of roast meat, aged cheeses, and game.

The 2017 vintage was characterized by two climatic events: a frost at the end of April that hit almost the entire European vineyard, leaving Montalcino miraculously unharmed, and a very hot summer with 10 consecutive days in August with a temperature of 43 ° C. The latter event also touched the Brunello vineyard.

6 BOTTLES OF BRUNELLO PRIME DONNE 2017, DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI’S RECIPE BOOKLET AND APRON DELIVERD TO YOUR HOME

Furthermore, on this occasion, the Fattoria del Colle wants to become part of your kitchen. Especially for you, an apron made of Tuscan fabric. Wearing this you will prepare dishes that remind you of the delicious typical Tuscan cuisine. Speaking of which, we also include a booklet with 16 recipes that will allow you to cook traditional and modern Tuscan dishes, such as baccalà alla fratina, pinci, panforte and latte in piedi.

9 February 2022

Wedding among the Tuscan vineyards

The informal elegance of the Tuscan countryside for those who dream of a unique wedding enlivened by great wines. At the Fattoria del Colle: history, nature and joy