On Sangiovese is one of the most appreciated grape varieties by connoisseurs all over the world. If you are interested in learning more about the history and characteristics of this grape variety, the only specific course on Sangiovese in Italy is the Sanguis Jovis-Alta Scuola del Sangiovese training project organised by the Banfi Foundation.

Follow a course to get to know Sangiovese in Tuscany allows one to immerse oneself in its history, to study the characteristics of this vine and the impact it has had on the production territories, as well as to analyse its target market and much more.

Sanguis Jovis-High School of Sangiovese

Promoted by the Banfi Foundation, the Summer School of Sanguis Jovis- High School of Sangiovese has reached its fifth edition.

Course on Sangiovese in Tuscany

The course is at limited number and selections are made by public call. 20 student and professional places are available. In the category student include those under 30 who have graduated from university or obtained a master's degree less than 18 months ago and are unemployed; in the category professional include all those who, without age restrictions, work in professions preferably in the wine production-distribution-consumption and communication chains, in Italy or abroad.

The course includes 50 hours of teaching activities total of lectures, guided tours and evening debates and sees the participation of lecturers, academics, food and wine company managers and all those involved in the production-consumption chain. The aim of Sanguis Jovis, in fact, is to educate the Sangiovese connoisseurs of the new millennium at 360°, broadening their knowledge of both the wine and the world related to it.

The programme

On Summer School Programme is rich and includes five days of morning and afternoon classes on the history of Sangiovese, its territoriality, its distribution in Italy and around the world, and marketing operations to enhance this grape variety.

Lessons, from 10 to 15 July 2022are held at the headquarters of OCRA-Officine Creative dell'Abitare Montalcino. A visit to the Banfi winery is also planned, to see the cellars and vineyards, as well as a gala dinner to present the diplomas in the beautiful setting of Banfi Castle.

 

 

4 light, summery red wines to drink in summer

With the arrival of fine weather and higher temperatures, Italians' dining habits are changing, including their choice of wine. Just as people prefer cold and light dishes, so too fresh, fruity wines are preferred that can accompany a pasta salad or a mozzarella and tomato caprese, for example.

The rule is that white wine should be served chilled while red wine should be served at room temperature. However, every rule has its exception and this also applies to wine: there are red wines that can be served chilled. On the contrary, it is precisely at lower temperatures that they better express their olfactory and taste potential.

Not all reds, however, are suitable for serving fresh and accompanying summer lunches. Here is an in-depth look at which red wines can be drunk cold.

Characteristics of light summer red wines

Le characteristics of light summer red wines that make a bottle suitable for serving in summer are thearomaticity and theand harmonious acidity..

As for aromaticity, The greater the aroma and complexity of the bouquet of the wine to be refrigerated, the better the result. Many aromatic red wines improve their characteristics when served at a lower temperature. This is especially true for fruity wines, which are always appreciated fresh during the warmer months. They are indeed exuberant and lively, with low tannic power and intriguing red fruit notes. If you ask yourself "what wine can I have in summer?" the right answer is "a fruity red wine".

Finally, the wines with a good degree of acidity or persistent acidity on the finish, they are excellent served chilled, as the low temperatures enhance their freshness and lightness.

Some advice

Once the characteristics of light and fresh red wines have been analysed, however, it is good to follow some small precautions to avoid putting the wrong bottle in the fridge.

Speaking of the temperature of red wine in summer, the ideal temperature is 11°C/12°C. Lower temperatures, in fact, damage the bottles. For this reason, unlike whites, summer red wines should be placed in the refrigerator only a short time before being served at the table.

Also, if you want to make a good impression on your guests, it is inadvisable to serve a vintage or very old wine chilledBottles with a full-bodied flavour and a powerful, complex structure lose all their potency if placed in the refrigerator. Therefore prefer a younger wine.

Which light red wines are suitable for summer?

We have selected for you a list with in 4 best fresh red wines produced by Banfi to drink in summer. Let's go deeper characteristics and wine pairings Stilnovo, Centine Rosso, Col di Sasso and L'Altra di Banfi.

Stilnovo

Banfi Stilnovo by Banfi is a fresh and light red wine with an unmistakable style, perfect to accompany your summer dinners. Its structure is soft and delicate and the tannins are barely perceptible. What pleasantly tantalises the palate, however, is the perfect balance between acidity and fruity noteswhich are especially noticeable in the savoury and persistent finish.

Accompanies first and second courses typical Mediterranean dishesespecially the richer ones and sometimes even at the fish. The suggested serving temperature is 16°.

Centine Rosso

Also popular among the light, summery red wines is the Centine Rosso. This wine produced by Banfi with its spicy and floral notes has a well-balanced body and good acidity, making it perfect as a fresh wine to serve in summer. In addition to enhancing the meat dishesRed Hundreds goes very well with the aperitifs (charcuterie and cheese board) and with the grilled meat. The suggested serving temperature is 16°.

Col di Sasso

Among fresh red wines, Banfi Col di Sasso is one of the most appreciated for its versatility. The combination of the best varieties of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon gives rise to a wine with an intense and distinctive bouquet, with notes of liquorice harmoniously combined with hints of currant, wild strawberry and plum.

The Col di Sasso is perfect for a aperitif with friends over mature cheeses, perhaps to be enjoyed on the terrace while listening to good music, or for light meat dishes. The suggested serving temperature is 16°.

The Other

Finally, Banfi L'Altra - Barbera d'Asti DOCG wine is also perfect to accompany meat, especially the savoury red meat and the first courses with meat sauce. In fact, it is very well structured on the palate: the typical acidity of the Barbera variety is in harmony with the tannins and creates a pleasant and persistent finish, fresh and thirst-quenching, suitable for summer. The suggested serving temperature is 16°.

The Sustainability Report 2021, now in its sixth edition, has been available since 22 April.

The challenge of change is this year's common thread. "...a concept, in some respects a true strategic approach, linked by a double thread and from the very beginning to the history and successes of our company...", reads the incipit of the Lettera dal Territorio, written in six hands by the three presidents (Enrico Viglierchio - Banfi S.r.l., Remo Grassi - Banfi Società Agricola S.r.l., Rodolfo Maralli - Fondazione Banfi).

In the beginning, "...the challenge was to demonstrate that a new and dynamic entrepreneurial, productive and commercial approach, respecting the centuries-old values of the Italian wine-growing tradition, was possible... Today, also in the light of the continuous and sudden mutations that are characterising, as never before, this economic and social phase at an international level, the challenge to change has become a very topical and unfortunately indispensable theme.

Sustainability Report 2021: Themes

Among the main topics addressed in this edition is the important progress of 2021 turnover over 2020, the result of massive, timely and consistent corrective actions at the distribution and production level. In addition, 2021 saw the light of Direzione Futuro, a fundamental strategic corporate development project whose objective is to progressively return the company to the top of the international wine industry.

In 2021, Banfi also obtained Equalitas certification, the highest recognition in the field of sustainability in the wine sector, which includes the three social, economic and environmental pillars, the result of a long journey that began with the first certifications in the early 2000s. Another fundamental step, consistent with the company's commitment to the territory in which it operates, was joining the Territorial Alliance Carbon Neutrality of Siena.

To add to this, the WISWA 2021 sustainability award was bestowed upon Cristina Mariani-May, CEO and owner of Banfi, in recognition of her drive for corporate social responsibility, as well as her commitment to Banfi's ethical and sustainable production practices.

Cristina Mariani-May, in her Letter from the family, emphasises that the '...Sustainability Report, besides representing an extraordinary and effective snapshot of our actions and our relationship with the people and the territories in which we operate, is also an unmissable opportunity to reflect, all together, on the growing complexity of today's times and the challenges that the current change requires us to face. ...And sustainability, the pivotal theme of this interesting report, is increasingly a founding value of our actions, an ethical discipline that guides our path, with the ambitious intent, as my father recited years ago at the inauguration of the Montalcino winery, to leave future generations a healthier, more liveable and richer land than the one we found'..

For the second year, Banfi's Sustainability Report was subjected to limited assurance in accordance with the ISAE 3000 Revised standard. The audit, entrusted to Pricewaterhouse Coopers Business Services Srl, a leading company operating in the business consultancy sector, certifies the adherence of the contents of the document to the guidelines adopted for its preparation and consists of document collection activities, interviews with the management responsible for the preparation of the report, in-depth thematic analysis, checks on the calculations made and sample checks.

The Sustainability Report 2021 is available at the following link: www.www.banfi.it/it/sostenibilita

The colourful graphics of Van Orton Design wraps the bottle of Limited Edition 2022 of La Pettegola, Banfi's Vermentino.

La Pettegola, first produced in 2012, as of 2018 boasts a limited edition (only twenty thousand bottles for 2022) signed each year by internationally renowned artists and designers:

• 2018: Alessandro Baronciani
• 2019: Ale Giorgini
• 2020: Riccardo Guasco
• 2021: Elena Salmistraro

The association with design is strengthened for the fifth Limited Edition, thanks to the reinterpretation entrusted to the duo Van Orton. A pair of twin artists, Stefano and Marco, born in 1983, live and work in Turin. Their aesthetic is strongly influenced by pop culture, in particular the graphic and film culture of the 1980s and 1990s, in a psychedelic and playful throwback that they associate with the style of stained glass windows in Gothic churches, creating a unique and immediately recognisable mix. After their first years as graphic designers in a communication agency, their reinterpretations of some 80s film icons allowed Van Orton to get noticed quickly and collaborate in a few years with brands such as Marvel, Armani, Microsoft, Barilla, Mercedes-Benz, Warner-Bros, Ray-Ban and many others, as well as with musicians such as Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Jovanotti. Their works have been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Milan.

The word 'gossip' immediately reminds us of the woman who loves to gossip about other people's business, but the gossip is also a very beautiful bird, with a red beak, long orange legs, and an ash-grey livery on its back and white on its belly, which lives along the Maremma coast and is so called because of the chattering of males in love.

"When Banfi proposed to us to create the new La Pettegola label, we immediately thought of who should be the protagonist of the artwork: a little bird!" say Van Orton. "We imagined him as the main character of a colourful and somewhat psychedelic video game, like the ones we used to spend hours with as children. Our gossip moves in a stylised Tuscan landscape, among hills, flowers, bunches of grapes, bicycles, incandescent sunsets: a mix of elements that restores all the energy of this imagery. We used a unique line, combined it with our bright colours and distinctive textures to create a design that represented us 100%'.

As with the two past editions, the Limited Edition 2022 label comes to life thanks to Augmented Reality, this time enriched by an incredible novelty: in addition to animating the micro-world created by Van Orton, some of the elements that compose it 'come out' of the confines of the bottle, trying to 'vanish' into the environment. As in a real video game, the user can stop them by tapping on them and thus discover what happens with each tap. To see the animated label, simply download the Banfi Experience app (Apple Store - Play Store) and frame the bottle.

Cristina Mariani -May, owner and CEO of Banfi, is the winner of the second annual WINWSA 2021 Sustainability Award.

The international competition aims to recognise those women, from the wine and spirits sector, who through their expertise and ability succeed in influencing the world to which they belong on a global level. The '50 list of excellence' is drawn up on the basis of four criteria: professional insight and achievement, impact, contribution and vision.

'Women In Wine And Spirits Award' to Cristina Mariani-May

The award to Cristina Mariani-May is a recognition of her ability to push Banfi's corporate social responsibility. Sustainability is a theme very dear to the Ilcinese company, which has always been committed to modern and sustainable practices.

An amazing ten-handed dinner with some of Italy's most renowned chefs, all belonging to the Relais & Châteaux association, for a unique food and wine experience.

On 18 November, Castello Banfi hosted one of the stages of the Vini&Chef Symposium, for a surprising dinner for ten hands. The event featured renowned chefs from some of Italy's most important restaurants, all belonging to the prestigious association Relais & Châteaux.

Wine & Chef Symposium

Wine & Chef Symposium was born thanks to the collaboration of Domenico Francone, Chef of La Sala dei Grappoli at Castello Banfi Wine Resort, with Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani of Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, Valeria Piccini of Caino, Ivan Ruocco of Hotel Bellevue Syrene, and Egon Heiss of Castel Fragsburg. In previous stages, Domenico Francone was a guest of the other chefs at their restaurants.

At the Castello Banfi Wine Resort event, each of the chefs tried their hand at a dish, for a sophisticated five-course menu, accompanied by a prestigious selection of wines Banfi.

Relais & Châteaux, founded in 1954, groups together luxury hotels and restaurants that are owned and managed by independent entrepreneurs - in most cases, families - united by a passion for their craft and a desire to establish an authentic bond with their guests.

Castello Banfi is among the very few Italian Residences in the Association that boast their own wine production that captures and conveys the history, passion and culture of their host region.

The evening's programme was enriched by a conversation of the guests present with Gabriele Gorelli MW: Fine Wine & Fine Dining. During the activity, the links between wine and fine dining were explored, with the chefs present as protagonists, through their personal links, and their dishes, with the world of wine.

Signed with FinDynamic the first agreement introducing dynamic discounting in the wine sector thanks to the partnership with UniCredit Factoring.

Banfi, a leading wine producer founded in 1978 and an excellence of Made in Italy, has signed a dynamic discount programme with FinDynamic, a fintech company participated by UniCredit, to favour the economic recovery of its suppliers located in the Tuscan territories of Montalcino, Bolgheri, and Chianti, and the Piedmontese territories, comprised of the municipalities of Novi Ligure and Acqui Terme.

This is the first example of the application of dynamic discounting in the wine sector, which is characterised by the presence of operators who often have numerous small and medium-sized suppliers, for whom the instrument is particularly suited to their liquidity needs.

Unicredit and Banfi to support the wine sector

The agreement, signed thanks to the contribution of UniCredit Factoring, is in addition to the Confirming agreement signed in 2020 and allows Banfi to complete the path of support to its supply chain, granting suppliers various options of flexibility in the collection of receivables.

FinDynamic's solution allows both Banfi and its suppliers to automatically display invoices within a web or mobile platform and easily select invoices for prepayment. Suppliers will be able to finance their working capital by obtaining advance payment of invoices in exchange for a discount, which varies dynamically in relation to the number of days in advance of the payment date agreed on the invoice.

Enrico Viglierchio, CEO of Banfi, commented: 'Embracing FinDynamic's solution means being even closer to the specific needs of each of our individual suppliers, with concrete and dynamic support, thus recognising their high value.

Andrea Burchi, UniCredit Centre North Regional Manager, remarked: "Knowledge of the territory and continuous dialogue with entrepreneurs allow us to promptly intercept the needs of companies. In this case, the synergy with the other companies in our group, together with the specialisation of the product offered, allowed us to offer Banfi an innovative and customised solution'.

Simone del Guerra, CEO of UniCredit Factoring, said: "Our commitment to developing innovative solutions through collaborations with the fintech company FinDynamic allows us to enrich our offering of solutions to support supply chains and to support corporate customers and their suppliers in the restart process."

Enrico Viganò, Ceo & Founder of FinDynamic, emphasised: '2021 is also proving to be a very important year for FinDynamic, in which companies have recognised us as a true ally to support their supply chain. We are proud that Banfi has chosen us to support its suppliers: our platform is in fact an innovative tool that facilitates the relationship between all supply chain actors through technology and continuous innovation.

The event took place on 20 September, at 18:30, at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino.

On Monday 20 September, at 18:30, Banfi and the Banfi Foundation presented the third edition of the Rudy Buratti Degree Award in Viticulture and Enology and the Sustainability Report 2020.

Rudy Buratti Degree Award in Viticulture and Enology

The Banfi Foundation, through Sanguis Jovis-Alta Scuola del Sangiovese, and the Scuola Enologica di San Michele all'Adige have decided to remember the extraordinary figure of Rudy, who died prematurely in January 2018, by dedicating a degree award in Viticulture and Oenology to him. Rudy, had graduated from the Scuola Enologica di San Michele all'Adige in 1981, and had arrived at Banfi in 1983. One of the main protagonists of the extraordinary entrepreneurial history of the Ilcinese company, he was a great promoter of the mission of Sanguis Jovis, and the award intends to remember his human and professional figure, taking him as an example to young people in the sector.

The winner of the third edition, which, like the previous ones, was an incredible success, is Mario Wegher with his study on 'Comparison of two methods for reducing bunch compactness in Vitis Vinifera vs. Pinot Grigio'.

Stefano Tiefenthaler, on the other hand, is the winner of the second edition of the Prize, which, due to the pandemic situation, could not be held regularly in 2020. Dr. Tiefenthaler presents his study on the 'Determination of Rotundone Concentration in Italian Syrah Wines'.

In addition to receiving a scholarship, both winners had the opportunity to attend the fourth edition of the Summer School free of charge. The theme was 'Maturation and maturity of Sangiovese: the search for a balance between viticulture and oenology'.

Sustainability Report 2020

On the same occasion, there was also the official presentation of the Banfi 2020 Sustainability Report which, as we had announced when it was published on 22 April last, can be consulted in its full form and abstract at the following link: https://www.www.banfi.it/it/sostenibilita/.

Banfi has obtained Equalitas certification. A goal achieved with CSQA thanks to the long journey undertaken through the numerous sustainable initiatives in the area and the publication of the Sustainability Report since 2016.

Banfi Società Agricola s.r.l., a leading company in the area of Montalcino, obtained certification Equalitascertification of the Sustainability Management System for the Wine Sector, following an audit by CSQA.

A pioneer of Sustainability, one of the company's founding values, as well as an authentic and emblematic element of its path, Banfi has established a balanced and productive relationship with the territory in which it operates and a genuine interaction with its collaborators and the institutions with which it dialogues. The path undertaken since its inception has evolved over the years, following the growing demand for quality and safety in the wine world.

Cristina Mariani-Mayowner and CEO of Banfi, states:

"We started thinking and working sustainably in unthinkable times, when it was not yet a trend. Our product comes from the Earth, we know perfectly well that our success goes hand in hand with respect for the environment, so we have always tried to be in harmony with the land that surrounds us, from the vineyard to the finished product: wine. Extensive research carried out since the very early 1980s (Banfi was founded in 1978) in collaboration with the most important Italian universities and research centres, but not only, allows us to fully respect the territory in which we operate and to produce high quality wines. In the last 750 years, our estate in Montalcino has had only three different owners. My duty is to make this area better than my family found it, for future generations. Achieving Equalitas certification is a natural achievement, a sign of respect for all admirers of Banfi's fine wines around the world".

Banfi achieved Equalitas certification

Obtaining Equalitas certification follows the certification of the Sustainability Report 2020 which was subjected to the limited assurance according to the ISAE 3000 Revised standard. In fact, the Sustainability Report is one of the hallmarks of the EQUALITAS standard, along with:

• good practices and economic, environmental and social indicators integrated with each other and each declined on the basis of the most advanced experience available;
• the Management System: where the company is led to integrate sustainability into its management dynamics, operating in the area of self-assessment first and foremost;
• third-party certification: which guarantees the consumer about transparency in the management of sustainability goals, but also encourages the company to work continuously and efficiently;
• the collective brand that enables communication to the consumer and the market.

An innovative project for the leading producer of Brunello di Montalcino that, thanks to the Banfi Experience app, offers an immersive virtual experience in the entire Banfi world.

Banfi has decided to explore the world of augmented reality, offering an immersive virtual experience of the entire company world. Something unique, putting the entire experience of the company within smartphone reach, breaking down distances with its customers who will be able to visit the vineyards and the winery from the comfort of their own homes. All this is possible thanks to a unique app: the Banfi Experience.

The experiences that the user can enjoy are many and all very immersive: a journey from the vineyards to the winery, the harvesting and sorting of grapes, and much more. This is possible both with the simple use of the smartphone and with the specific cardboard, thanks to which the moment will be even more real.

The same experiences will also be available to the many visitors to the estate with an innovative tour, which combines the real experience by enriching it with virtual content. A new way of experiencing Banfi and discovering it in a completely different way. The visitor, by framing the markers arranged in the different areas, on his smartphone will see the scene come to life, and will be able to experience, for example, the magical moments of the grape harvest at any time of the year.

"We are particularly proud of this ambitious project, which will make it possible to experience the world of wine at 360° throughout the year," says Rodolfo Maralli, Sales & Marketing Director of Banfi. "Banfi had the courage to dare and explore a new territory: a winning choice that will certainly have interesting developments in the future."

With Banfi Experience, the Ilcinese company had already experimented with augmented reality to bring to life the labels of La Pettegola Limited Edition 2020 (designed by Riccardo Guasco) and 2021 (designed by Elena Salmistraro). By framing the bottle label with the app, the illustration comes alive on the user's screen, creating an interactive and fascinating experience.

Finally, to make the Banfi Experience even more complete and multi-sensory, the app allows direct access to the playlist Spotify "Play the Banfi Experience' and get into the Banfi mood.

Banfi Experience is available both for Android on the Play Store and for iOS on the Apple Store.

The innovative project was entrusted to Publifarm, a communications agency specialising in digital and augmented reality projects, with which the company has been working for years.