Donatella Cinelli Colombini Returns to Ontario this October

Sep 28

We're happy to welcome Violante Gardini, Donatella Cinelli Colombini's daughter, and sales director for the family winery, to Ontario this October.

Donatella Cinelli Colombini left her family’s estate in 1998 to start her own, made up of Casato in Montalcino, and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda. Along with the vineyards and with the farmhouses to be renovated, Donatella received a quantity of Brunello di Montalcino, and needed a cellar master to oversee its barrel ageing. She called the Enology School in Siena, asking for a good student to hire. They answered that they had none; cellar masters had to be booked years in advance. They mentioned, however, that they had many female cellar masters available, since no important winery wanted to employ them.

Donatella didn’t just hire a woman cellar master for her project. The entire staff are women, including world renowned consultant winemaker, Valérie Lavigne, and Donatella has become a beacon for women in the wine industry, not only in Italy, but globally. Violante has grown up in the winery, working and learning alongside her mother, and oversees sales internationally.

We visited with the Colombini family at the winery in August 2023, and shot this short video of Donatella talking about their family estate.

Together with Le Sommelier, Violante will be leading three spectacular wine dinners this October, in Ottawa, Toronto, and Barrie:

Tuesday, October 21
La Bottega Nicastro, Ottawa
SOLD OUT. Inquire about joining the waitlist here

Wednesday, October 22
Luca, Barrie
Tickets available here

Thursday, October 23
George Restaurant, Toronto
Tickets available here

Most of our producers are small, independently owned and operated businesses, like ours. You can view our complete portfolio here. Thank you for letting us share these producers and wines with you.

Cheers,