couple of glasses of
vin santo
– a sweetwinemade in
the cellar a few steps away.
There, on a sticky floor among oakbarrels, cellar
manager BarbaraMagnini has skipped lunch. Shehas spent
themorning getting ready to greet the final-year students
fromSiena’s school of oenology– theplace fromwhich she
had recently graduatedwhenCinelli Colombini employed
her in2000.
“Wine’s alwaysbeenaman’sworld, especiallyhere in Italy,
wherewomenare still seenas inferior tomen, best left in
thekitchen,” saysMagnini,makinga seriesof complicated-
looking calculations ina ledger. “Whenwe startedeveryone
thoughtmen coulddo it better, butweget over thephysical
difficulties– likemovingbarrels, liftingheavy things–by
working together. Yes, there is still discrimination, but
changehas got to start somewhere, and that’shere. I’m
proudof all of us.We’remakingadifference.”
That evening I joinCinelli Colombini, her husbandEnrico
and their golden retriever Felix for dinner in the restaurant.
The evening is cool, andCinelli Colombini iswrapped in a
greenwoollenblazer, an elegant string of pearls aroundher
neck. The family’s off toMalta for aholiday nextweek, so
she’s spent thedaydoing some extraworkonher latest
project, the “quota rosé”. By 2018Cinelli Colombini wants
30%of theboardmembers of Italy’s national wine
consortium tobewomen; right now, that number’s
between 1 and2%.
“Iwant tohelpwomenmove into roleswhere they can
decide the futureofwine. Iwant tohelp them see that it’s
important tobe inapositionwhere they canmake their own
decisions,” she saysover aplateof hand-rolled
pinci
pasta
withduck ragu. “In Italy there’s a culture that penalises
women, and thosewhodon’t stayhomewith their kids
aren’t lookedatwell, especiallyby theirmothers-in-law!”
Does she feel like she’s changed that viewofwomen in
the 17 years since she openedherwineries? “I feel like abit
of apioneer, yes. Not necessarily in the sector ofwomen
alone– there areplentywhohavedonemore thanme
there.Where I openednewhorizons forwomenhas been in
thewine industry.”
“But there is still work tobedone,” she continues,
pausing to give Felix apiece of fiorentina steak. “Weneed
to encourage the idea thatwomen canbeprofitable for
society, not just staying at home looking after the family.”
She stops, and sighs. “It’s a longbattle.”
FLYTO
FLORENCE
DAILY.
BRUSSELSAIRLINES.COM
ChefHellePoulsen
Tesioteachesvisitorsto
maketheirownpasta
and
spiedini convitello,
veal stuffedwithsausagemeat
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