DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI

Donatella Cinelli Colombini is something of a vineyard revolutionary, having opened Italy’s first winery run solely by women.

Her ancestors first owned land in the Montalcino area in the 16th century, and recent generations have passed property down the female line. When Cinelli Colombini inherited the estate from her mother in the late 1990s, she went in search of staff at Siena’s oenology school.

The property now has 16 hectares of Sangiovese vineyards, producing the area’s famous Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino wines. They adhere to the strict controls which afford them the quality DOC and DOCG labels, while Cinelli Colombini’s estate is one of 210 producers in the Consortium of the Brunello of Montalcino. Bottles, which cost €29, are shipped worldwide, with the largest group of both buyers and visitors coming from the US.