Gold at Vinitaly for Donatella Cinelli Colombini
Brunello producer, flagship for wine tourism and women in wineries, Donatella Cinelli Colombini receives the Premio Internazionale Vinitaly
Donatella with Ettore Riello and Giovanni Mantovani during the award giving
In the splendid frame of the Palazzo della Ragione in Verona, on Saturday March 24th Donatella Cinelli Colombini received the Premio Internazionale Vinitaly 2012 directly from the President of Veronafiere Ettore Riello and from the General Director Giovanni Mantovani.
The woman who for first and with most Energy divulged wine tourism in Italy, creating the day called “Cantine aperte”, Wine day, expressed her joy upon receiving this important prize.
<< Having chosen me, a small Brunello wine producer, after personalities such as Corinne Mentzelopoulos from Chateaux Margaux, Robert Mondavi or Pablo Alvarez from Vega-Sicilia signifies believing in the contribution that every producer can give to the future of wine making when they decide to get involved with courageous and innovative projects like wine tourism or women in wine making >> said proudly Donatella Cinelli Colombini owner of the first wineries Italy with an all female staff, at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and in Fattoria del Colle in southern Chianti.
The Premio Internazionale Vinitaly, explains the General Director Generale Giovanni Mantovani << was created in 1996 and is awarded every year to Italian or foreign personalities or institutions who have particularly distinguished themselves in the wine world>>. Together with Donatella Cinelli Colombini the award went to the Master of wine Debra Meiburg who lives in Hong Kong.
Donatella descends from a historic Brunello making family and since 1998 she has her own estate. The two wineries are a flagship for women in wine; in fact the staff is entirely made up of women, consultant wine maker included. Today Donatella Cinelli Colombini produces 160.000 bottles a year and sells to 28 nations around the world.
As well as the production of Brunello, Chianti and Doc Orcia wines she has a
Debra Meiburg talking with Thomas Matthew - Executive Editor of Wine Spectator - on the right the Premio Internazionale Vinitaly award
country inn with apartments and rooms that sleep 101 guests, in the 16th century villa at Fattoria del Colle. There is a restaurant, cookery school, wellness centre and 3 swimming pools.
Eclectic personality, Donatella for years has studied history of medieval art, subject in which she took her degree. She has also had an experience in politics as Councillor for tourism for the city of Siena, her birthplace. Among her ideas, the Urban trekking, a sporting type of tourism, this from Siena has been spread through 30 other cities around Italy.
Donatella Cinelli Colombini contribution to emphasizing Italian wine regards mainly Wine tourism of which she has been a real pioneer. She has also published two books: Manuale del turismo del vino del 2003 and Marketing del turismo del vino del 2007, which are connected to her didactic activity in post graduate courses.