REPORTAGE
74
JULY 2015
n a 16th-century farmhouse on the outskirts of Siena, DonatellaCinelli
Colombini is perfectingher favouriteblend: that ofwomen andwine.
It’s here, at Fattoriadel Colle– an estate of vineyards, olive groves and
truffle fields– that Cinelli Colombini runs Italy’s first all-femalewinery,
aptly named
PrimeDonne
:WomenFirst.
“I wanted to show thatwomen arenot ahandicap. I wanted to show that it’s possible
forwomen in Italy tomanage awinery,” she says aswe sit on the terrace overlooking the
chequeredhills that dip and rise around the townof Trequanda, part of theproperty she
inherited fromher father in 1998.
Itwas a life-changing year for Cinelli Colombini. She also inherited a vineyard innearby
Montalcino fromhermother andwith it, 60 litres of BrunellodiMontalcino–Tuscany’s
most famous andprestigiouswine.
Therewere renovations tobe carriedout and vineyards tobe tended, but itwas the
wine that neededurgent attention. Fromher office at the Siena tourist board she called
the city’s school of oenology, in searchof a cellarmasterwho could start immediately.
“Theypractically laughed inmy face; all the good students arebookedup years in
advance,” she says, smoothingher silver hair away fromher face, red spectacles pushed to
the edge of her nose.
Undeterred, a fewhours later she calledback: was there anyone at all who could assist?
“They replied thatwell, yes, if I was desperate, the cellarmasters leftwerewomen,
becausenoonewanted to employ them,” she recalls, shakingher head.
“Itwas incredible, like switching on a light – theproblemhad always been therebut
I was seeing it for the first time. ‘Theparty’s over,’ I said.Women arewinebuyers,
they’rewine consumers. I thought tomyself, why isn’t this reflected in thenumber of
womenworkingwithwine?”
And so thePrimeDonneprojectwas born: two vineyards producing 10 labels, many
tailored specifically for female consumers, run entirelyby a staff of 30women, whodo
everything fromplucking grapes and creatingblends (smooth, not bitter), to choosing
names (
Cenerentola
[Cinderella],
LeoneRosso
[Red Lion]) and the colours usedon the
labels (thenext special editionof BrunellodiMontalcinowill come in a crystal bottle, the
label painted in gold).
Itwasn’t easy. In the Italian countrysidewomen are still encouraged to stay homewith
the children rather thandomanual labour or, heaven forbid, run a company. Questions
were asked: would itwork?Would anyone visit? Couldwomen evenmovebarrels?
“Donatellanever set out to say ‘Hey, womenmakebetterwine’,” says Antonella
Marconi, whomanages CasatoPrimeDonne, Cinelli Colombini’s second vineyard,
in the townofMontalcino. “Hermessagewas, ‘Womenmakewine just aswell asmen,
so giveus the opportunity toprove it. Inmywinery I’m going to employ all women so
Previouspage:DonatellaCinelliColombini intheestate’s 16th-centuryfarmhouse.
Opposite: cellarmanagerBarbaraMagnini’sall-femalecrew, andtheFattoriadelColle
vineyardtheyhavemadetheirown
