Mapping MONTALCINO

Wine buyers and expert tasters usually travel to Montalcino in winter to taste the latest releases during Benvenuto Brunello . However, recently two new events have started to bring Brunello lovers to town in early summer.  Tutto in un Sorso / Wine without Borders  reunites some of the most interesting producers of the natural wine world in Montalcino. Small, mostly family-run wineries from Italy and France will lead tastings of their natural wines at the Sant'Agostino church in Montalcino. For wine lovers with an ample budget, the Long Live Brunello wine fair (tickets from 500 Euro) will be of interest. For the first time, 35 Brunello wineries reunite to open some of their oldest bottles (starting with the 1968 vintage). It's going to be hard to find another event that will allow you to taste so many riservas in one place. The fair will end with a charity auction at the Bertarelli concert hall in Cinigiano.  Long Live Brunello : June 21 - 23, 2019. Tickets fr...

Brunello di Montalcino is not an everyday wine, and especially Brunello Riservas - produced only in outstanding vintages - are wines for big occasions, birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, the holidays.  But when visiting Montalcino and the Val d'Orcia during Christmas season, many wine lovers struggle to find a vineyard open for tastings. Understandably, after a year of hard work, most Brunello producers celebrate at home to finally enjoy their wine with their families.   Palazzone vineyard near Montalcino: open for tastings during the holidays Il Palazzone's holiday winery visits are an exception to the rule and the themed tastings are just the thing you need if you're still contemplating ideal wine pairings for Christmas lunch or New Year's Eve.  Sensory Tasting – Family Friendly  Deciphering the aromas in a wineglass is fun! Come and explore the world of aromas and scents. Includes: private winery tour, guided tasting of 4 wines & a leaf...

Montalcino jazz and wine 2015 The program of the 18th edition of Montalcino Jazz & Wine brings one of my favorite Italian musicians to Brunello town on the evening of the 17th of July. Sergio Cammariere may not be known as well as Paolo Conte out of Italy, but his music will definitely be enjoyed by the fans of the latter.  The seven concerts of the 2015 festival have something for every taste: two Saudade inspired nights on the 14th and 19th of July and an evening in the footsteps of Django Reinhardt with French gypsy jazz guitarist Angelo Debarre on July 16. Debarre also offers a master class on the afternoon of July 15 (contact  marketing@banfi.it  if you'd like to participate).  For bepop lovers the highlight of the music festival in Brunello town will be the Cookers on July 18. The American members of the septet look back on half a century of jazz music played in the company of the most famous names of the genre (Art Blakey, Sony Rollins, Din...

July brings sultry mornings and sizzling hot afternoons to most of Italy. L ocals who aren't lucky enough to be sunbathing at the sea will try to spend as much time as possible indoors until temperatures get more bearable in the evening.  But there is always an exception to the rule: in July 2014 tourists didn't buy Tuscan straw hats for shade but Chinese umbrellas to shield off the rain. That July central  Italy received  16  days of rain en lieu of the three days usually expected during the second month of summer.  Things  were even worse in the north and south of the country and winemakers in Tuscany had an awfully busy time with  hail and humidity putting their precious crop at risk (for more info on the mad climate's effect on the vines read the Palazzone winery's account of July 2014 ).  Thankfully Italy's Scottish Ju ly is  a thing of the past now and in future years the month is hopefully back to what it's supposed to be: the drie...

(Looking for the program of Jazz & Wine 2015? Read on here .) Montalcino Jazz & Wine is in its 17th year and as usual the festival opens up at Castello Banfi, the initiator and main sponsor of the event. After the first two nights in the courtyard of the American Brunello winery, the concerts will take place in Montalcino's medieval fortress in the town center.  The great Danilo Perez ready to jam it in Montalcino this year Starting off with two Italian gigs at the Banfi winery, the festival works its way up to 'The Children of the Light', the trio of pianist and Grammy award winner Danilo Perez and closes with British jazz funk band Incognito.  MONTALCINO JAZZ AND WINE 2014 Courtyard of Castello Banfi (former Castello Poggio alle Mura) Aspettando il jazz - waiting for Jazz &Wine July 10 FABIO MARIANI – GIPSY THREE July 15 DEIDDA BROTHERS plus A. SRIANO e P. BISOGNO Fortress in Montalcino July 16 6 IN JAZZ -  TRIBUTE To LUCIO BATT...

Montalcino's brand new organic wine and food store introduces a series of talks with tastings of wines and food of local producers. The first event will be with winegrower Francesco Leanza from Podere Salicutti. And rightly so.  Originally from Sicily, Leanza moved to Montalcino in the early 90s and was the first producer to go organic in Montalcino. Today, Podere Salicutti's Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino have cult status and the IGT Dopoteatro has become one of the first organic Supertuscans.  Franci Bio: Not just organic wine Francesco Leanza is also co-founder of Sangiovese per Amico , a small association with the aim to monitor and enhance production and quality standards of Montalcino's king - the Sangiovese grape.   The owner of Podere Salicutti will talk about his experience of a life as organic winemaker in Tuscany and lead through the tasting of three of his wines: 2008 Brunello di Montalcino il Piaggione, 2011 Rosso Sorgente and 2011 Dopoteatro ...

July is Montalcino's festival month. One Jazz and two classical music festivals take place in Brunello town each summer, and the Banfi winery is involved in two of them.  Castello Banfi (formerly known as castello Poggio alle Mura), turns its courtyard into a stage for one of the concerts of the Melodia del Vino festival on Tuesday, the second of July. The winery opens its doors at 6.30 with a sumptuous aperitif and tastings of its wines. French pianist Marc Laforet and cellist Henry Demarquette will play Beethoven, Chopin and Schubert from 8.30 pm.  A good reason to arrive early: sunset at the Banfi winery On the 10th and the 16th of July two concerts of Montalcino Jazz & Wine will take place at Castello Banfi before the festival moves up to its stronghold in Brunello town. 

Jazz and Wine - one of the main events of a summer spent in Val d'Orcia The 16th edition of my favorite festival in Italy starts with three concerts in the courtyard of Castello Poggio alle Mura, the HQ of the Banfi winery. After that the festival moves on to its traditional home, Montalcino's imposing fortress right at the entrance of Brunello town.  WAITING FOR JAZZ & WINE AT CASTELLO BANFI The flyer of this year's Jazz & Wine  shows the pianist Bill Evans absorbed in his magical play. This even though piano solo and piano trios play a minor role in the 2013 edition of the festival than in previous years. Nevertheless, the program awaits us with some great names from the Italian and international Jazz scene.  26th of June STEFANO SABATINI TRIO Stefano Sabatini - piano Luca Pirozzi - bass Pietro Iodice - drums 10th of July  PAOLO RECCHIA - T hree for Getz Paolo Recchia - alto sax  Enrico Bracco - guitar Nicola Borrelli - bass 1...

As every year Montalcino's Jazz and Wine festival takes its time with letting us know who'll be in town and who won't. So far there's only one thing set. The dates.  Be sure to book your hotel room in the week from Tuesday 16th to Sunday 21st of July 2013.  You don't make a down payment, unless you know the gig? If you're already out here in June or early July, look up the program of one of Montalcino's two twin cities when it comes to Jazz & Wine. Because, yes, Banfi and Brunello town aren't the only Italians to blend jazzy vibes with classy wines.  You know how some generations are full of Kevins and others abound with swarms of Jennifers? The same thing happens with festivals. In the 90s Italy gave birth to one Jazz & Wine festival after the other. And like the pairing of cheese and wine, the combination was meant to stay.  Montalcino's fortress: from medieval battlefield to Carnegie Hall

As a Brunello lover living in Tuscany, I'm no big fan of famous wine writers. True, they are part of the business and wineries need their attention to make themselves known and their wines sold in the big wide world. But god forbid that you wake one morning to find one of your beloved Tuscan reds mentioned on James Suckling's best 100 Italian wine list - you'd never be able to drink that wine again (unless you're in for a massive pay-rise).  On the other hand, if you're new to this territory you'll probably need some guidance. Even the hard-core taster couldn't get through all of Montalcino's 250 Brunello wineries in a week long holiday. So, if you're planning to stock up on some cases whilst travelling Tuscany - do your reading up before coming out. A great place to start is Tim Atkin's Brunello Special Report. The British writer has been tasting his way through Brunello land for the last 20 years and is one of the few Masters of Wine ...

Looking for the best way to kill time until Benvenuto Brunello is taking off by the end of February? Tasting my way through the preview of Vino Nobile di  Montepulciano the weekend beforehand normally does the trick for me. From the 16th to the 18th of February 2013 , wine trade and journalists are invited to meet the  Vino Nobile 2010 and Vino Nobile Riserva 2009  (register  here ). Both vintages have been awarded four stars out of five, which will ensure a pleasant weekend. The wines will be presented every day from 2pm to 6pm in Montepulciano's fortress (the location has recently been restored with the support of the town's vintners' association).  San Biagio church: Montepulciano's Renaissance jewel Close to Montalcino, Montepulciano has a lot in common with the home of Brunello . The two hill top towns have  beautiful historic centers,  host prestigious music festivals in summer and are impossible to access in high-heels. M...

Gambero Rosso produces one of the best Italian wine guide available in English language. Helping you find your way through Italy's 20 regions, the Gambero Rosso wine guide team has tasted something like 40'000 Italian wines last year. 2350 producers have made it into the final edition of the 2013 guide and 399 wines have received the  tre bicchieri  award (standing for the  three glasses  reflecting the maximum score available). As in every year Piedmont is the region on top of the list with 75 wines receiving the prime award, closely followed by the 68  tree bicchieri wines in Tuscany (Veneto comes in third with 36 wines).    It's the producer of those 399 tre bicchieri wines that are invited to join the events the Gambero Rosso editors organize in the US, Europe and Asia to present the Italian Wines guide to the wine world.  The castle of the ColleMassari winery near Cinigiano One of the participating vineyards in the Gamber...

American wine trade and members of the press who can't make it to Benvenuto Brunello 2013 may want to lick their wounds during an Italian wine tasting back at home.  From the 28th of January to the 3rd of February Slow Food and Vinitaly organize three tasting days in Miami, NYC and San Francisco to present the English edition of the Slow Wine guide. 

The square medieval tower of Castello di Argiano, one of Montalcino's main landmarks. Wine technically speaking too! Do you know the type of people who just seem to have it all? Good looks, intelligence, charm, exquisite taste, and any other good or attractive human trait you can possibly think of? The same is true for Tuscan vineyards: some just have it all. Montalcino's Sesti vineyard at Castello di Argiano is one of them. Most people who visit the winery decide on buying a case of Tuscan red before they even made it to the tasting room. The Tuscan hamlet with its medieval church and ancient tower is an amazing sight in its own right. The views over the hills of Val d'Orcia, mount Amiata and Maremma are just breathtaking. And the people living here fascinatingly eclectic and knowledgeable, but totally down-to-earth when it comes to wine making... put two and two together and you know - the wine can't but taste great. And you won't be on your own ...

Looking for a guide to take you to Montalcino's wineries? Planning to taste your way through wine cellars stocked with Brunello?  The Brunello wine maker consortium had exactly you in mind when projecting their app to Montalcino's 250 vineyards. No need to book a guided tour and cram into a bus. Just download the app on to your iPhone and start cruising independently. Or better even, download the app whilst still at home and start training. Winery visits in Montalcino are nothing for the fainthearted (unless you insist on spitting the stuff - but then why would you?).  Roads less traveled : On the way to the Argiano winery  near Tavernelle, Montalcino The iPhone app is available in English and Italian. A version for android phones is in planning. Doing Samsung myself, I haven't been able to try the app yet, but will report about it, once it's available to unfashionable smartphone users like me too.  iBrunello - your virtual guide to the vineyards of...

10 am is a bit early. But then, if you're looking for free wine tastings in Tuscany, you'll have to take what you get. The inauguration of the exhibition about the history of vines and wine in Tuscany, will be accompanied - I'd say rightly so - by a wine tasting organized by the Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino . So start your day in town with a hearty breakfast, and before getting down to business listen to some scientific research and queer facts about the history of wine in Italy.  Once you're done with tasting also take in the permanent exhibit of Montalcino's small but lovely museum. Which is a good reason not to exaggerate during the morning's wine tasting. It would be a pity to only remember a blurred vision of Domenico di Agostino's marvelous wood sculpture of the Madonna.  

Over 50 years ago, the city of Montalcino started the Sagra del Tordo in an effort to boost the local economy. Since then the little Sagra with big hopes has outgrown its own name. Sagra , yes. The last weekend in October still offers the best in local dishes and vino , but it goes beyond that. You might call it a folkfest with parades in medieval costumes, traditional folk dancing and an exciting archery tournament between the quarters of Montalcino. Tordi , no. Thrush have become a protected species so they are no longer on the menu (much to local dismay). TOP TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO THE SAGRA DEL TORDO (in no particular order. Well, not really.) 10. The excitement and rivalry in the air. During the settimana santa , the week leading up to the big festival, you can feel a buzz around town. Banners are hung on the old City Hall, flags are unfurled in the four quarters and people are genuinely happy spending all week tog...

What ever we rate in our family (books, legs, food, music, football players, films, wines), no person, no novel and no plate of homemade pasta ever receives the highest score. Not because of my critical Swiss genes, but because of my Tuscan native, who insists that 10 out of 10 is impossible to obtain. Okay, maybe Diego Maradona in his most stellar moments... but generally let's face it, we can't compete with the gods. However we look, and whatever we do or produce -  we're mere mortals, true perfection is beyond our means.  So imagine my surprise when I heard about a  Brunello di Montalcino Riserva   getting the highest rating possible . I guess the expert tasters of the Italian Espresso guide must have been flabbergasted themselves when scribbling down that 20 out of 20 on the score card of  Poggio di Sotto's Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006 .  However, the tasting team's vote kind of confirmed our theory: the Espresso  Vini d'Italia 2...

It's October - summer festival season is over and night life in Tuscany starts to take on a slower pace. Luckily for Montalcino, some people don't loose their spirit even if temperature and tourist numbers start to drop.  Michela, shakin' it at Le Logge Simone Muggianu and his partner Michela run one of Brunello town's nicest bars . Located on Montalcino's main square bar Le Logge is meeting place for young and old alike. Every time I'm in Montalcino I stop for a coffee or an aperitif there. No need to call friends. Either they are already there or one or the other will be arriving shortly.  Best of all, bar Le Logge also makes sure people in Montalcino get their share of big city life. Aperitifs with live music and yes, even dj sets for dancing are organised. You don't even have to go for dinner beforehand. Grab your food directly from the tasty buffet Le Logge puts up during these nights. Enjoy the music, dance and yes, taste yourself not jus...

Planning to spend a few days in Montalcino? Read wedding planner and tour guide Serena's account of her holiday in Brunello town this summer.  You never learn enough of Tuscany and whenever you have the chance to tour an area, you go back home with the feeling that yet something is missing and you need to go back to see more… This sensation was even stronger when visiting Montalcino and Val D’Orcia this summer with my family. View from Montalcino over the hills of the Crete Senesi and Val d'Orcia