Queen to Queen

An Interview with Donatella Cinelli Colombini -President of the Women in Wine Italian Association

Today in Italy  March 4th 2017 the International Day of the Women in Wine

I have the great pleasure of presenting in my blog a vivid example of hard work and passion. I'd like to introduce you to Donatella Cinelli Colombini, a woman who has made history in the Italian wine world and who has marked a huge change in the growth of the women's presence in the art of winemaking. Recently named the Sir of the Italian Republic honors for her great performance and hard work.  Her vineyards are located in Tuscany Italy, where she not only works as an oenologist, but also on different tasks at her cooking school, her hotel. She serves as the President of the Italian women's organization.

1. Do you think is more difficult to work in the wine business for a woman? Is it more difficult in Italy than other countries?
It is more difficult than for a man. It is more difficult here in Italy than it is inAustralia or California. We, the women of the world of wine, are an army without generals. We make up 35% of the agricultural workforce, if we consider the ownership of companies, but not in as high as 10% of the wine consortia boards for making wine politics decisions. Yet women are good,sometimes much braver than male colleagues. They have fewer opportunities than their male counterparts and nearly always earn less.

2. What is the impact that women have and could have on the world of wine production?
Women are very educated; among the producers associated with wine, over half of women have a degree or postgraduate diploma. Very often women have professional experience in a different economic sector and this makes them very open to innovation and change. In the cellars they are often dealing with communication, marketing or commercial matters.

3. If you could start from the beginning, would you choose a career in the wine world?
It is a beautiful work, you are in contact with nature but at the same time it allows you to have friends all over the world. It is so competitive but also rich in cultural components.

4. What attracted you to the world of wine?
I was born here. I was born into a family of Brunello producers who wrote part of the history of this wine. I witnessed the marvelous rise of this wine from an excellent local production to an international oenology star.

5. I read that you also studied Medieval Art History. If you could compare your wine with art, which artist or artwork would you compare to your wine?
If I had to follow my heart I would say Duccio because he is an absolute genius and from Sienne, though it does not look like my wines. The artist who best reflects the perfect harmony that I try and I try to express in my wines is Piero della Francesca.

6. Do you have any secret dreams waiting to be realized? If so, you would like to share with our readers? We are planning the expansion of the cellar of the Hill Farm and we will build the first air-conditioned warehouse for bottles "programs for women". My cellars are the first in Italy with an all-female workforce and for wine aging room bottled allow a woman to move, alone, up to 230,000 bottles. With the association which I chair, the Wine Women, on March 4 th will achieve a great event spread with dozens of events throughout Italy. The first " Festival
of the National Wine Women" will be repeated every year. We anticipate a few days for women that are dedicated to wine lovers, those that are passionate for new wine, attend Sommelier courses and appreciate the nectar of Bacchus. They will be the guests of honor of the events that will be organized where the companies of the Women in Wine.

Mrs. Cinelli Colombini leaves this message to all the women who taste her wine:
"To taste means to receive a message; A message that tells us about the land, the vintage in which the product is the style of the producer. Wine is like an infinite book with new pages every year and in every territory. That is why it is beautiful to read and marvel again and again. So it is also nice to go to see where it is born and with it find new stories, new friends in each cell. I wait for you in my Cava Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and in the Fattoria del Colle in the south of Chianti in Italy.

To know more about the PARTY OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN WINE DAY IN ITALY VISIT : www.FESTADELLEDONNEDELVINO.it

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