Farm experiences

LOTS AND VERY GOOD OLIVE OIL 2022

Trequanda celebrates the new oil and Fattoria del Colle brings to the table the first olive pressing in 2022. Tuscany grows in quantity and quality compared to 2021

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The festa dell’Olio Novo is back in Trequanda this year together with applause for the newly elected Senator Silvio Franceschelli, Mayor of Montalcino, who told us “the inhabitants of small towns have the right to have the same opportunities as those who live in the city”. A political program that we agree with. The third reason for celebration a visit from my friend and great oil expert Antonietta Mazzeo. She dined with us together with the surprise guest Massimo Rossi, AIS delegate from Arezzo and 40 exuberant aspiring American writers.
Fattoria del Colle and the medieval village of Trequanda are at the centre of one of the best Italian production districts for extra virgin olive oil.

TRACEABILITY OF THE OIL

The Olio Novo festa is an opportunity to learn something about the healthiest fruit on earth. In the Tracoil Conference I listened to Professor Stefano Loppi and Doctor Martina Grattacaso explain how the area of origin leaves a trace in the oil that resembles a fingerprint. The parameters examined are three: the composition of the soil, the chemical analysis of the oil and the isotope ratios. The Valdichiana markers are calcium, nickel and strontium. As for fatty acids, the comparison between our extra virgin olive oil and Portuguese oil shows in the latter, the presence of many fatty acids in small quantities while the foreign sample highlights a smaller number of acids with higher concentrations. Overall, the study, which will soon be completed with the analysis of isotopes, shows how it is possible to trace the origin of the Valdichiana extra virgin olive oil, safeguarding it from those who pass off a foreign oil as Tuscan.

4 August 2022

By Donatella Cinelli Colombini

FATTORIA DEL COLLE A TREASURE CHEST OF VALUES TO PRESERVE

Tradition, history, nature, craftsmanship … Fattoria del Colle in the most panoramic and intact Tuscan countryside is dedicated to the preservation of these values

Orcia DOC Winery Fattoria del Colle

As some people may already know, I am an art historian who has become a grape grower. For this reason I take the liberty of writing a little note on the concept of conservation and restoration. It is a very ancient practice but until the mid-twentieth century the works of art – especially paintings and architecture – were integrated with ruined parts and “updated” with respect to the fashion. In other words, they were “embellished” but substantially falsified. Cesare Brandi was the father of modern restoration that must not << commit an artistic forgery or a historical forgery, and without erasing all traces of the passage of the work of art over time >> in other words, conservation must safeguard the integrity of the works.

20 May 2022

RECIPES AND PEOPLE OF THE FATTORIA DEL COLLE RESTAURANT

I’m back again to talk to you about the Fattoria del Colle restaurant, introducing you to 2 people and 2 delicious recipes: ravioli stuffed with cheek and pork fillet with Brunello

Those who arrive at Fattoria del Colle know they will find a temple of the more rural Tuscan traditions. The restaurant also reflects this spirit.

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Wild-pork-fillet-with-Brunello-Fattoria-del-Colle-Restaurant- Tuscany

The interior room is decorated with a floral motif taken from the villa of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s uncle and aunt in Chianti Classico. Here there is the fireplace and the breakfast buffet with homemade cakes and biscuits, typical cold cuts and pecorino cheese … the piece of furniture is the farmer’s old desk. The queen of farm breakfasts is Patrizia Guerri who every day prepares unbeatable doughnuts, pies and sponge cakes.

ALFREDO BIAGI, ROBERTA ARCHETTI AND PATRIZIA GUERRI

On the veranda of the restaurant, surrounded by greenery, is the room where guests generally dine by candlelight. Here there is a small collection of copper objects of the farming tradition: jugs, bowls, basins … The decor is more modern with padded chairs and white tablecloths but the dishes are handcrafted in Montelupo Fiorentino inspired by those used in the countryside a century ago.
The dining room service is directed by Alfredo Biagi, AIS Sommelier of the Arezzo delegation since 2016. Alfredo is from Chianciano Terme where his family arrived at the end of the nineteenth century and experienced the golden age of this thermal wellness resort. His grandfather opened the first wine shop in Chianciano and his family managed hotels and restaurants. He himself directed Villa Nottola in Montepulciano for many years

19 May 2022

FATTORIA DEL COLLE RESTAURANT

It is a “wine” restaurant because it overlooks the vineyards, bases its menu on tradition and the great wines by Donatella Cinelli Colombini and it has two AIS Sommeliers

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Today and tomorrow, I will present to you the protagonists and the new recipes of the Fattoria del Colle Restaurant in Trequanda, in the most intact and panoramic Tuscan countryside. The restaurant is actually made up of two restaurants: the recently restored barn as a hall for banquets, conferences and parties, and the gourmet restaurant, which has existed since 1998. The latter is inside the hamlet where the farmers used to live and where today there are rooms and apartments for tourists. The restaurant is housed in the old ox stables and pigsty, although now, with the floral decorations on the walls and refined furnishings, it seems difficult to believe.

In summer, the internal rooms extend outwards into the terrace and romantic grove illuminated with small suspended light bulbs as in ancient peasant feasts. The grove and terrace above the cellar are in great demand for weddings and allow each couple to create a very personalized wedding party unlike any other. Every detail is thought out with care, even the lighting of the grove is designed by Philip Robinson – the English set designer of famous films such as “Four weddings and a funeral”.

In the menu of the Fattoria del Colle Restaurant we find the same mix of tradition, accuracy and creativity.

17 March 2022

Exclusive wellness for two in the middle of the vineyards

Private spa for nature and wine lovers. Exclusively for those in love, an entire natural wellness area with massages and wine therapy for couples

Fattoria del Colle – massagges for couples with bio natural body treatment and Vinotherapy

It’s a new trend: a private spa where couples can go alone.

Every couple needs magical moments to build their own love story. Intimate places where you can feel at ease and let yourself go. Places designed for couples and capable of arousing emotions that will create memories.

PRIVATE SPA: NATURAL WELLNESS AREA FOR TWO

Fattoria del Colle massagges for couples and vinotherapy

One of these places is the natural wellness area at Fattoria del Colle, in southern Tuscany, in front of the wonderful panorama of the Crete Senesi and Val d’Orcia. Surrounded by organically grown vineyards and olive groves. The Farm is like a small hamlet with the noble villa and the chapel dating back to 1592, the old farmhouses transformed into rooms and apartments for tourists, a restaurant, 3 swimming pools, cooking school, parks and the cellar for the production of Supertuscan, Chianti Superiore and Orcia Doc wines.

It offers those in love an exclusive wellness experience for couples specifically designed for those who love nature and great wines.

The wellness area is located on the premises in an area formerly used by the farm’s blacksmith. It is small but elegantly equipped with hammam, sauna, emotional showers, foot bath, jacuzzi and relaxation room. It can receive a maximum of 6 people at the same time or be reserved exclusively.

2 March 2022

Fattoria del Colle is waiting for you for Easter 2022

A program with 2 Tours with itinerant tastings, vertical tasting of 6 Brunello, lesson on typical cakes, photo safari for Easter 2022

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Fattoria del Colle reopens its doors for Easter. In the splendid scenery of the most intact Tuscany, where the great red wines for ageing are born, tourists will be able to live four days full of engaging and exciting experiences. Returning home, they will discover that they have learned so much about the history, the wines – Brunello, Orcia, Chianti Superiore, Supertuscan – the foods and even the traditional herbs of Tuscany.

EASTER 2022 AT FATTORIA DEL COLLE

The long Easter weekend – from Good Friday to Easter Monday – allows you to regenerate with “landscape therapy” BIO -organic vineyards and olive groves, three equipped parks, paths where you can go trekking or stop to enjoy views of extraordinary beauty.

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The Fattoria del Colle is like a small rural hamlet with a chapel and a villa built in the 16th century surrounded by farmhouses. They have been transformed into apartments and rooms for tourists while maintaining the intimacy of the past thanks to the furnishings of authentic local antiques.
There is a restaurant, the old barn with the banquet hall, the cooking school and the natural wellness area where wellness lovers can enjoy massages and wine therapy for couples.

9 December 2021

in Farm experiences, Vines and wines

Casato Prime Donne revamps its experiences with Brunello

4 proposals for Brunello lovers who start or deepen their knowledge of Montalcino’s wines and for the fastidious who now know almost everything

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Those who arrive in Montalcino have different curiosities: there are those who know little or nothing about wine and know Brunello almost only by hearsay. Then there are the wine lovers always looking for new experiences and new knowledge about Brunello. Finally, there are those who want only exclusive, exceptional experiences made especially for them.
Casato Prime Donne, in the northern part of the Brunello territory, offers 4 tailor-made experiences for these wine tourists making each of them live something exciting and different from any other winery.

CASATO PRIME DONNE A SPECIAL WINERY FOR SPECIAL CUSTOMERS

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is a very special place: it is the first Italian winery with an all-female staff; it exports to 41 foreign countries and produces wines with very high ratings from the international press. But visitors find something more than a farmhouse from the late sixteenth century full of barrels and vats, there is the story of the history of Montalcino in images, there are installations by contemporary Tuscan artists, which allow you to experience wine in an unusual way. This wealth of different elements enriches the tourist route and has allowed the creation of 4 experiential visit proposals capable of exciting and surprising newcomers and very experienced Brunello enthusiasts too.

For detailed programs and to book just click on the site or call +39 3455495154

2 December 2021

4 new experiences for visitors, wine lovers and true experts

Visits with wine tasting and more, proposals that entertain and teach in an unusual and new way at the wine destination Fattoria del Colle

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Those who are tired of going to the cellars and being told about the wine production process should come to the Fattoria del Colle and will discover a wine destination with 400 years of history that makes you live exciting experiences and transfers knowledge in a fun way, for the sole fact of being in and touching them.

NEW DIVERSIFIED WINE EXPERIENCES FOR TOURISTS AND WINE LOVERS

Fattoria del Colle is in the Southern Tuscany, 18 km from the A1 Valdichiana motorway exit. It produces Chianti Superiore and Doc Orcia wines and, together with the Montalcino winery Casato Prime Donne, is owned by Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

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It is therefore the great wine for cellaring that is the protagonist of 4 different tourist proposals designed for those who love the Tuscan countryside and want to discover its roots. Or, for those who are passionate about wine and want to try their hand at experiences different from those proposed by other wineries, they can create their own Supertuscan. Finally, for super wine lovers, a full immersion in the history, cultivation and specificity of Sangiovese with a two-hour lesson held by Wset teachers or professional Sommeliers together with educational visits and guided tastings.

FOR LOVERS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, WINE LOVERS AND FOR GREAT CONNOISSEURS 4 TAILOR-MADE PROPOSALS

All framed by olive groves and vineyards in the most beautiful countryside in the world and with the opportunity to meet the 3 wine makers of the all-female staff of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s cellars. A lot of tradition and a lot of contagious passion for the great Brunello, Chianti, Supertuscan and Orcia wines.

For information and bookings click on: https://www.cinellicolombini.it/en/tuscany-wine-destination

28 October 2021

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

New 2021 olive oil, little but organic and good

The heat and drought have drastically reduced the 2021 olives but the extra virgin olive oil is full of flavor. The harvest at the Fattoria del Colle has already begun

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The harvest has just begun but the scarcity of olives is very evident: some trees are entirely fruitless and others have beautiful loaded branches and all the rest of the canopy empty. Apparently it is the moraiolo variety olive trees that have suffered the most. Fortunately, the yield in oil is good and the taste of the golden liquid is intense so just a few drops are enough to fill the vegetables and cooked dishes with flavor.

THE ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL OF THE FATTORIA DEL COLLE

The Fattoria del Colle has two small olive groves for a total of 6 hectares, planted after the frost of 1985 that killed almost all the ancient trees. Only a few olive trees resisted and are along the dirt roads.
In the olive groves there are the varieties Moraiolo and Correggiolo (frantoio) with which we produce a Tuscan DOP blend and two monocultivars. All are organic.

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The area of Trequanda, where the farm is located, has been renowned for centuries for the excellent quality of its extra virgin olive oil. Thanks to its altitude (400 meters above sea level), its ventilation and the calcareous soil, the quality of the oil is spontaneously excellent. The oleic fly is also very rare and therefore there is no need of chemistry. Producing organically is really easy.
Harvesting is done by hand with the help of rakes and nets. Every day the olives arrive in the Sant’Angelo Olive Mill in Castelmuzio which is only a few kilometers from the Fattoria del Colle. The pressing takes place at low temperatures (less than 27 ° C) with a Pieralisi system. The master miller Paolo Bindi has experience and a keen eye to preserve the fragrance of the fruit and its healthy virtues.
The annual production is small and ranges between 10-15Hl. The extra virgin olive oil is stored in the dark and at a controlled temperature in steel vats and then bottled without filtering. It is possible to buy it at Fattoria del Colle or online.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FOR CHILDREN

In addition to the traditional glass bottles since last year the Fattoria del Colle also offers children’s oil packaged in metal jars covered with a label full of GANGHERETTI small monsters designed by the painter Alessandro Grazi.

The cans are small so that children can pick them up on their own (0.25 and 0.50 L) and there is a space where each child can write their name. The Gangheretti are the 92 goblins that legendarily populate the Fattoria del Colle. They are blue, smell of garlic and constantly play pranks.
Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest food that nature gives us. This is why it is important that children consume it regularly and for this reason it is important to store it in the dark, where there are no smells and in the cool but not in the cold because it freezes long before water. Poor preservation destroys most of the health pros of extra virgin olive oil: oleic acid for example, a monounsaturated fat capable of regulating cholesterol levels. Extra virgin olive oil reduces the likelihood of heart attack, diabetes, cancer and aging.

19 August 2021

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Harvest weekend 2021

Visits the vineyard to harvest and to the cellar. Taste from the barrels, and then Brunello, Chianti and Orcia. Master class on Sangiovese and wine experience for a day

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Two appointments in September – 17-19 and 24-26 to participate in the 2021 harvest. An unforgettable experience with Sangiovese from which the great Tuscan red wines such as Brunello and Chianti are made.

HARVEST WEEKEND IN TUSCANY IN A SANGIOVESE CLASS

Picking the grapes, learning to taste it to assess the ripeness of the clusters. Taste the must and understand when it turns from juice into wine.
Taste the wine from the barrels and then what is already bottled. Even try your hand at being winemaker and blend your own Supertuscan.
Visit the cellars at Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino and at Fattoria del Colle in Chianti and Doc Orcia regions, discovering how a small reality has managed to bring 10 wines to get over 90/100 from the international press. An amazing result with peaks of excellence in the bottles awarded with ratings up to 97/100.

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THE HARVEST IN THE CELLARS AT CASATO PRIME DONNE IN MONTALCINO AND FATTORIA DEL COLLE IN THE CHIANTI AND DOC ORCIA REGION

Living the harvest in excellent cellars, where quality is a daily construction, is exciting and transmits enthusiasm, as well as a lot of information.

The program of the harvest weekends is very intense and has as its highlight the master class held by a great expert in Sangiovese. It is a unique opportunity for lovers of fine Tuscan red wines.

The main vine of Tuscany (64% of the total), Sangiovese, is also the one with the highest number of clones (108). It is a “territorial” vine, that is, it produces different grapes depending on the terroir in which it is planted

For this reason, to understand it requires a great expert capable of leading wine lovers to discover the Tuscan soils in their extraordinary diversity: Chianti boulder, galestro, alberese, clays and sea sands. A puzzle that looks like a game and then, in the glass, becomes perfume and flavour.

The harvest weekend begins on Friday evening and ends in the middle of Sunday. It has an intense rhythm to allow participants to live many engaging experiences but also to return home in tranquillity.

3 June 2021

COLOMBINO ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FOR KIDS

An extra virgin olive oil for kids in small metal jars with labels full of monsters. To make children love the healthiest product on earth: oil

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The days of snacks based on bread, freshly picked tomato from the garden, oil and salt are long gone. They had a wonderful scent and taste but also a less attractive look than snacks.
Yet it is precisely ancient and natural foods that make children grow up healthy.

<<Let’s try to give a more baby friendly look to healthy foods starting with extravirginoliveoil>>. From this idea was born children’s oil packaged in metal jars covered with a label full of GANGHERETTI small monsters designed by the painter Alessandro Grazi. The cans are small so that children can pick them up on their own (0.25 and 0.50 L) and have a space where each child can write their own name.

OIL FOR KIDS FROM FATTORIA DEL COLLE

The extra virgin olive oil inside the jars is ORGANIC and comes from the 6 hectares of olive groves at Fattoria del Colle in the inner Tuscany. They are located on high hills (400 meters above the sea) that are well ventilated, with sandy soil where olive trees have been cultivated for over 2000 years. The olives of the Correggiolo and Moraiolo varieties are harvested by hand with small rakes and then squeezed at low temperature in the Sant’Angelo di Castelmuzio olive mill 10 km from the farm. All done with the utmost respect for tradition and nature.
But let’s go back to the Gangheretti, that is, the little monsters on the label. These are the goblins who inhabit Fattoria del Colle and that are told about in a fairy tale that I transcribed below. Once upon a time …

92 GANGHERETTI

It was the beginning of time and there were only woods. The first farmer felt that there was something magical at the Colle and tried to get it out of the land.

Every night he slept in a different spot until he felt where his heart was happiest. He had a nail-like plow, he waited until midsummer night and stuck it on the ground three times. The magic broke free like a breath of wind that moved the leaves, made the flowers bloom and wove the farmer’s long beard like a fork into a plate of pinci. One by one, 92 goblins came out of the hole. They were blue, with a garlic-like little body but they smelled like lavender.

25 May 2021

WINE EXPERIENCE IN TUSCANY DURING THE EARLY SUMMER WEEKENDS

Wine experience at Fattoria del Colle in the heart of Tuscany to regenerate and learn about Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti and Orcia during the early summer weekends

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In the Tuscany of fine red wines, in an historic winery, unique and pleasant experiences such as guided tours with itinerant tastings, gourmet dinners with 3 courses perfectly matched with specific wines, the winemaker game, cheese making ….. Many engrossing moments to which can be added: hiking, photography safari, tastings in front of breathtaking views or walks with resting stops to enjoy the silence and perfumes of the countryside.

FATTORIA DEL COLLE IN AN UNCHANGED CORNER OF THE OLD TUSCANY

Fattoria del Colle (click to book) was born in 1592 as a rural hamlet that, during the centuries has been miraculously preserved and offers now holidays in apartments, rooms and villas. These are furnished with authentic furniture, a modern comfort in the welcoming simplicity of the countryside. Surround there are equipped parks, 23 swimming pools, a restaurant, banquet hall, cookery school and natural wellness area.

THE BRUNELLO, CHIANTI AND DOC ORCIA WINRIES AND THEIR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

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The most important thing is of course wine. The owner, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, created the first two Italian wineries with an all-female staff at Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino. A flagship for women’s oenology that in just 22 years has managed to produce a range of wines of absolute excellence, 9 of which with scores above 90/100 in the international specialized press and to export to 39 countries around the world.

WINE EXPERIENCE IN A WINERY FOR WEEKENDS AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER

The program that is offered to participants of the wine weekends at the beginning of summer, at Fattoria del Colle, includes four daily events: two guided tours dedicated to wine and history interspersed with tastings, a cheese experience and a dinner with three dishes combined with three wines capable of enhancing the flavours. The visits are unusual and surprising.
In the vegetable garden there are flowers and spontaneous essences of Tuscany that are served in salads by the farm restaurant but also pepper, Aglione, cola, wormwood … and many plants from which to learn … like the “consolida” with which the ancient casts were made. Even in the cellar visitors will find surprises, such as the immersive room in which to feel and see what happens in the vineyards at different times of the day and in different seasons.

5 May 2021

by Donatella Cinelli Colombini

WHAT DOES WINE DESTINATION MEAN

Fattoria del Colle is a wine destination that attracts those desiring real and different experiences with wine. Here I explain what it is and why it is liked so much

Wine destination: new winery of Fattoria del Colle in Tuscany

Those who think that only wine superstars attract visitors are wrong. Obviously, the more that winery is important and exclusive, the easier it is for them to attract visitors. Any wine lover, from the remotest place on the earth, will pack their bags and set off if they receive an invitation to visit Lafite or Romanée Conti. But the wine lover that comes to Tuscany maybe finds fascinating the idea of spending a day at Fattoria del Colle experiencing different activities that can enrich their knowledge in an old and authentic location. Mostly because they have the possibility of enjoying unique and moving moments.

WINE DESTINATIONS IN ITALY AND IN THE WORLD

Wine destination: spumante brut metodo classico sparkling wine – Fattoria del Colle – Tuscany

Let us begin with some facts so as to understand the importance of standing out. If you look for wine destination on Google you will find nearly 150 million content pages. In the first page there are many lists and it is worthwhile to read them so as to understand what attracts a wine lover to one area with respect to another.
Vine Pair proposes a list with the first 10 wine destinations in the world. In first position is Paso Robles in California, followed by Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico and Piedmont in Virginia.
Europeanbestdestinations.com puts l’Alentajo in Portugal, followed by Bordeaux and the Valle del Douro on the podium.
Booking puts the Italian wine regions in a row for the first three positions Valdobbiadene, Barbaresco e Bolgheri.

WHAT MUST A WINE DESTINATION HAVE

As you can see the tourist wine destination are present all over the world and so it is not enough to offer a tour through the barrels with an explanation of the production method of the appellation of the area, to intercept visitors. One must concentrate on what makes the winery stand out. Wineries have very different characters: some of them have strong points in the prestige and in the old beauty, as in Champagne, in other cases the major attractions are the new facilities of the star architects as in Chile.

14 April 2021