It is with pleasure that we share with you all the 2019 TOP TEN RESORT HOTELS IN ITALY FOR THE TRAVEL LEISURE in which Castello Banfi - Il Borgo ranks #6.

Ogni anno per il loro sondaggio World’s Best Awards, T + L chiede ai lettori di valutare le esperienze di viaggio in tutto il mondo – per condividere le loro opinioni sui migliori hotel, resort, città, isole, navi da crociera, centri benessere, compagnie aeree e altro ancora.

Gli hotel sono stati valutati in base alle loro strutture, posizione, servizio, cibo e valore complessivo.

Le proprietà sono state classificate come città o resort in base alle loro posizioni e servizi.

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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 Buratti, Banfi's Oenologist Director who died prematurely in January 2018, by dedicating a degree award in Viticulture and Oenology to him.

Rudy Buratti, who graduated from the Scuola Enologica di San Michele all'Adige in 1981, arrived in Montalcino in 1983, becoming one of the main protagonists of Banfi's extraordinary entrepreneurial history. The award, in perfect line with the mission of Sanguis Jovis, of which Buratti had been a great promoter, intends to remember his human and professional figure, taking him as an example to young people in the sector.

The call for entries was an incredible success, with over thirty entries received. The winner of this first edition was Dr. Stefano Delledonne with an innovative study on wine conservation in modern distribution: How does wine evolve when stored on a supermarket shelf? Evaluation of chemical, physical and sensory parameters.

The project involved evaluating the sensory (olfactory), physical (colour) and chemical (riboflavin) characteristics of bottles of white wine, produced from different varieties, exposed to light resulting in the defect known as 'light taste'. In addition to receiving a scholarship, Dr. Delledonne will be given the opportunity to attend the next Summer School (15-19 July 2019) free of charge.

The official presentation of the 2019 edition of the Rudy Buratti Graduation Prize in Viticulture and Oenology will take place on 15 July at 6.30 pm at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino (Siena).

Sanguis Jovis-High School of Sangiovese

Sanguis Jovis-High School of Sangiovese, che proprio il 15 luglio si appresta a dare il via alla terza edizione della Summer School dal tema I Terroir del Sangiovese In Toscana: Conoscenza, Storytelling, Mercato, a soli tre anni dalla sua nascita continua il suo percorso: potenziare, difendere e diffondere il valore prodotto dalla vitienologia del Sangiovese di Montalcino e della Toscana.

From 2 to 14 July, Montalcino returns as a protagonist of great jazz music

The 2019 edition of Jazz & Wine in Montalcino in the sign of great Italian and international stars

Now in its 22nd edition, the festival, born from the collaboration between the Banfi winery, the Rubei family of the Alexanderplatz in Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino, brings artists of the calibre of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Roberto Gatto, Stefano di Battista and Flavio Boltro to the Tuscan village. 

Italian and international stars meet in Montalcino (Siena): from 2 to 14 July, Jazz & Wine returns with an unmissable programme, the festival that unites great jazz and quality wine, well-known and attended by the world's most important artists and now firmly established as one of Europe's biggest festivals.

Born from the collaboration between the well-known Banfi winery, the Rubei family of the Alexanderplatz of Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino, for the 22nd consecutive year the event brings world-famous artists to the city that is the symbol of Brunello.

Jazz & Wine in Montalcino 2019: il programma

Si inizia martedì 2 Julywithin the historic walls of Castello Banfi, with "Waiting for Jazz & Wine" and the unmistakable sounds of SEBASTIEN CHAUMONT5et. The French saxophonist and singer with his quintet will take the audience back to when jazz and blues made people dance. A journey of emotions from the swing and pre-bop atmospheres of the 1940s to the sound of the early rhythm 'n' blues and jive of the 1950s.

Tuesday 9 Julyalso at Castello Banfi, the festival enters its climax week with an all-star band led by the accomplished Mexican composer, drummer and singer ISRAEL VARELA.

With The Labyrinth Project. Varela - formerly alongside Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny - will perform together with German virtuoso pianist FLORIAN WEBER and legendary Brazilian bassist (four-time Grammy Award Winner) ALFREDO PAIXAO. Special guest the great American saxophonist BEN WENDEL.

Not to be missed on Wednesday 10 July with the JAZZ & WINE ORCHESTRA directed by Mario Corvini which, as every year, opens the concerts in the Montalcino Fortress. This year's guest for the evening is Rosario Giuliani, award-winning Italian saxophonist and historic 'friend' of Jazz & Wine.

The resident orchestra, present at the Montalcino festival since 2015, this year proposes a repertoire dedicated to Thelonious Monk, model and reference for generations of musicians for his eclectic, original and always out-of-the-box approach.

Thursday 11 July the Philadelphia out-of-classman takes the stage KURT ROSENWINKEL. The guitarist has dominated the New York jazz scene for over a decade, creating a new thing in jazz that stems from contaminations with rock, hip hop and contemporary music. Gifted with a strongly romantic compositional vein and an absolutely personal timbre of rare beauty, in this trio he is supported by the talent and class of drummer Greg Hutchinson and bassist Dario Deidda from Salerno, who has always been by Kurt's side in recent years, even in his performances in the United States.

Highlight of this edition, Friday 12 July comes DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER with J'ai deux amours. Absolute star of the world music scene, undisputed lady of jazz, Dee Dee Bridgewater, with this project, pays tribute to the career and life of Josephine Baker and also celebrates famous chansonniers of the time such as Edith Piaf and Charles Trenet. For the occasion, Dee Dee Bridgewater appears with a superlative quartet consisting of Ira Coleman (bass), Louis Winsberg (guitar), Marc Berthoumieux (accordion) and Minino Garay (percussion).

Saturday 13 July the festival celebrates italian jazz with the drummer ROBERTO CAT and his New Quartet. Ambassador of Italian jazz in the world, proclaimed this year's best Italian drummer by the monthly magazine Jazzit, with this new project, extraordinarily mature and expressive, Gatto returns to the purely acoustic dimension, thanks to the help of three stage companions who best represent the Italian jazz scene: Alessandro Lanzoni on piano, Matteo Bortone on double bass and Alessandro Presti on trumpet.

The 22nd edition closes on Sunday 14 July with two other jazz icons: FLAVIO BOLTRO BBB TRIO ft STEFANO DI BATTISTA. The reunion of the two ambassadors of Italian jazz in the world, born this winter at the Alexanderplatz in Rome, offers a concert that ranges from acoustic to the use of electronic effects. The repertoire includes songs that draw on pop with atmospheres different from classic jazz, into which Stefano's sound, warm and pungent as ever, fits perfectly. Also on stage is Mauro Battisti on bass and Mattia Barbieri on drums.

All Jazz & Wine in Montalcino performances will start at 9.45 pm.

Information, reservations and tickets

Proloco Montalcino, 0577 849331 / 348 8855416 - info@prolocomontalcino.com

Information

Banfi 0577 840111 - marketing@banfi.it (also bookings for Banfi Castle concerts)

Information and booking

Eventbrite

Artistic Direction

Paolo Rubei

A meno di un anno dalla nomina di Cristina Mariani-May come “Woman of the Year 2018” da parte di “The Drinks Business”, anche la Germania premia Banfi, dichiarando la famiglia Mariani “Wine Family of the Year” al Meininger Award “Excellence in Wine & Spirit” di Düsseldorf.

La cerimonia di premiazione si è svolta ieri, alla vigilia di Prowein, una delle fiere più importanti del settore vitivinicolo, alla presenza di numerosi invitati provenienti da tutto il mondo, e personalità di spicco del mondo internazionale dell’enologia. Qui Cristina Mariani-May, rappresentante della terza generazione famigliare e, dal 2018, CEO di Banfi Vintners, ha ritirato la prestigiosa onorificenza dalle mani di Christoph e Andrea Meininger, proprietari della casa editrice Meininger Verlag e ideatori dell’iniziativa.

La scelta della giuria, composta principalmente dai giornalisti delle riviste enologiche del gruppo, ossia “Weinwirtschaft”, “Meininger’s Wine Business International”, “Sommelier”, “Weinwelt” e “Getränke Zeitung”, per il 2019 è andata alla famiglia Mariani per la seguente motivazione:“Banfi è una delle più rinomate case vinicole del mondo e la famiglia Mariani ha dato un prezioso contributo al vino italiano. La gestione sostenibile, tradizione e modernità hanno permesso a Banfi di svolgere un ruolo di primo piano nel mercato del vino internazionale”.

Cristina Mariani-May, ringraziando Christoph e Andrea Meininger in prima persona e tutta la casa editrice Meininger Verlag ha dichiarato: “Sono emozionata ed onorata di essere qui, oggi, a ritirare questo prestigiosissimo riconoscimento. I miei ringraziamenti, a cui si aggiungono quelli di mio padre John che, purtroppo, all’ultimo momento non è potuto essere presente, vanno alla famiglia Meininger e a tutta la giuria. Desidero ringraziare, inoltre, tutto il team Banfi che, in questi 40 anni, ha camminato a fianco della mia famiglia. Un ringraziamento va anche alla famiglia Sorrentino e a Brand Compendium, nostro partner in Germania da oltre 10 anni”. 

From today until 7 March, climate change, proposals for working together to reduce environmental impact and real solutions for the wine sector will be discussed in Porto

Cristina Mariani-May, owner and CEO of Banfi, in recognition of her leadership in the sector, has been invited to bring her testimony as a winemaker to the wine-related climate change summit in Porto from today until 7 March.

'The main focus for the future,' says Cristina Mariani-May, 'is sustainability. One of my main goals is to leave my children the area in which Banfi operates in a better state than how we found it'. She continues 'At Banfi, we started working sustainably when there was not so much talk about sustainability yet. Ensuring a balanced ecosystem, maintaining and nurturing biodiversity on our estate, always looking for new ways to keep our land healthy and our wines wholesome, as well as minimising our impact on the planet, have become our modus operandi'.

The wine world is strongly linked to the environment and the territory in which it works, and talking about the challenges it faces every day due to climate change, confronting winery owners, scientists, business leaders, oenologists, importers, encourages the entire sector to work together, to find short and medium term solutions, to reduce the impact on the environment. In addition to Cristina Mariani-May, there are numerous high-profile speakers who will give their testimony, including former US Vice-President Al Gore, and who together will produce the Porto Protocol.

In 2000, Banfi began a path on certifications that in 2006 led it to conclude a journey and obtain, as the first wine company in the world, certification for ethics and social responsibility (ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and SA 8000). Since 2015 Banfi has also been drawing up the Sustainability Report in which it reports for each year on the sustainable practices applied to each sector of its business.

Il 25 febbraio a Roma, presso il Voodoo Bar, è stata presentata l’edizione limitata de La Pettegola 2018, in una reinterpretazione curata dall’illustratore Ale Giorgini.

Il 25 febbraio, presso il Voodoo Bar immerso nella suggestiva cornice di un parco di oltre 2000 mq, nel pieno centro di Roma tra il Colosseo ed il Rione Monti, è stata presentata la seconda edizione della Limited Edition de La Pettegola 2018.

Per il secondo anno consecutivo, il Vermentino di Banfi viene proposto in un’edizione limitata (solo ventimila bottiglie), in una versione completamente reinterpretata dall’illustratore Ale Giorgini.

L’artista, classe 1976, ha iniziato a disegnare da bambino e non ha più smesso.  Oggi fa l’illustratore: ha collaborato con Armani, Jeep, Puma, Warner Bros, Kinder Ferrero, Opinel, Disney, Foot Locker, Sony, Emirates, MTV e ha pubblicato le sue illustrazioni su The Hollywood Reporter, The Boston Globe, Chicago Magazine, Wired UK, L’Espresso, Il Sole 24 Ore, Il Corriere della Sera. Ha partecipato a mostre ed eventi in tutto il mondo anche se, quando può, ama passare le sue giornate a Vicenza, città dove è nato. È stato selezionato dalla Society of Illustrators di New York e candidato al Premio Boscarato al  TCBF. È direttore artistico di Illustri Festival, insegna allo IED di Torino e alla Scuola Internazionale di Comics (Padova). Ha fondato Magnifico, un’agenzia di illustratori.

L’illustrazione avvolge completamente la bottiglia de La Pettegola con una monocromia rosa e un complesso intreccio di geometrie e linee. L’artwork ritrae la scenografia perfetta di un aperitivo tutto al femminile. Vermentino amato dalle donne, La Pettegola a ogni sorso rende sempre una serata tra le colline toscane più spensierata. Il vocio delle conversazioni e il tintinnio dei brindisi sembrano prendere vita oltre la bidimensionalità dell’illustrazione e diventare reali. L’osservatore si sente così  piacevolmente coinvolto dall’atmosfera di festa e non vede l’ora di gustare a sua volta un calice di Pettegola.

Così Giorgini presenta la sua opera “Sono arrivate. Nei loro eleganti abiti estivi, sfilano una per una in una sfilata senza fine. Il loro accessorio preferito è un calice di Pettegola che sfoggiano con disinvoltura. Il rosa è il dress code della serata, rispettato anche dall’uniforme dei servizievoli camerieri e dall’imbandigione dei tavolini all’aperto. Il cinguettio delle chiacchiere è una sinfonia che fa da colonna sonora alla felice occasione. Per ogni dove risuona: Un calice di Pettegola, grazie! E mentre i bicchieri si svuotano all’inarrestabile ritmo dei brindisi, il cielo si riempie di stelle. Un uccellino assiste alla scena, prima di volare via portando con sé il ricordo di questa notte nella campagna toscana”.

L’estetica ha avvicinato Banfi al design in un sodalizio che diventa di anno in anno più forte, grazie a collaborazioni con artisti e designer di fama internazionale, mostre e vernissage.

 

L’azienda vinicola Banfi e i ristoranti Vivo di Firenze e Milano si uniscono per un progetto di solidarietà che coinvolge la Fondazione Operazione Vivere e la Fondazione Tommasino Bacciotti

Insieme per la solidarietà, è questo il motivo alla base di VIVO & BANFI PER IL SOCIALE, l’iniziativa che vede uniti i ristoranti Vivo di Firenze e Milano e l’azienda vinicola Banfi.

In cosa consiste il progetto? Durante tutto il mese di dicembre, il ristorante Vivo di Milano e il ristorante Vivo di Firenze proporranno ai propri clienti uno dei vini icona di Banfi, il Vermentino La Pettegola, nel formato Edizione Limitata (una bottiglia speciale disegnata dall’illustratore Alessandro Baronciani). Per l’acquisto di ogni bottiglia verranno devoluti sei euro in favore della Fondazione Operazione Vivere a Milano e in favore della Fondazione Tommasino Bacciotti a Firenze.

La Fondazione Operazione Vivere, che pone la sua attività a disposizione della Struttura Complessa di Chirurgia Generale Oncologica e Mininvasiva dell’ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda di Milano, nasce dalla volontà di migliorare il modo di curare patologie importanti, come quelle oncologiche, con il sostegno allo sviluppo tecnologico e alla ricerca scientifica, offrendo così trattamenti poco invasivi e meno traumatici.

L’attività della Fondazione Tommasino Bacciotti è rivolta allo studio, la cura, l’assistenza e l’informazione dei tumori infantili, soprattutto quelli cerebrali. Tra le molteplici attività possiamo segnalare il Progetto Case Accoglienza Tommasino, con cui la Fondazione mette a disposizione degli appartamenti, in modo gratuito, alle famiglie dei bambini ricoverati presso il Meyer di Firenze; il sostegno psicologico e/o economico ai genitori; il finanziamento di borse di studio a favore di medici pediatri oncologi e di tecnici di laboratorio.

Gli eventi di presentazione di VIVO & BANFI SOCIALE sono previsti rispettivamente il 26 novembre a Firenze, dove saranno presenti i due Presidenti di Banfi, Enrico Viglierchio e Remo Grassi, e il 28 novembre a Milano, a cui presenzierà il Dr. Enrico Viglierchio, il Dr. Carmelo Magistro e il Dr. Pietro Carnevali. 

It was 1978 when John and Harry Mariani bought the first land in Montalcino and planted the first Sangiovese vines. Since then, forty years have passed of extraordinary passion, of continuous and exciting challenges, of unrepeatable successes. An important journey for Banfi, which, in just four decades, has made a wonderful history, building a brand that is known throughout the world and inextricably linked to the development of Montalcino and its territory.

In recent years, the love for Tuscany has brought Banfi closer to new territories, among the region's most vocated, such as Bolgheri, Maremma, Chianti and Chianti Classico. Much older, however, is the link with Piedmont, which dates back to the same years as Banfi's foundation in Montalcino.

And after 40 years, Cristina Mariani-May, the third family generation, coordinates the company's activities with the same love, passion and dedication to produce quality wines.

The story of these 40 years of Banfi can be told through the four pillars that have accompanied it along its journey: pioneering spirit, research, innovation and sustainability.

Tracing the path first, exploring new frontiers, looking to the future while remaining firmly anchored to traditions and origins, this is the spirit that has always guided the choices of Banfi, which, from the very beginning, has believed in the enormous wine-growing potential of the Montalcino area and its symbolic vine, Sangiovese, promoting innovative scientific studies on soils and Sangiovese, hitherto with a hitherto unknown potential. Equally pioneering innovations in the winery, as well as the development of a modern concept of hospitality. Pioneering, finally, also in the training and dissemination of wine culture, an inseparable and distinctive point of the Banfi model, which has reached its zenith in the projects of the Banfi Foundation, in particular withSanguis Jovis - Alta Scuola del Sangiovese.

Knowledge, knowledge, study, search and experimentation, to get to know and reinterpret a unique territory and to distinguish and enhance the company's modus operandi. Many and varied, in fact, have been the studies carried out and collected in the publication La Ricerca dell'Eccellenza (The Search for Excellence): research for Banfi represents a transversal and constantly evolving concept, from the vineyard to the cellar.

The results of the research must, however, be translated into innovations concrete, modern and perfectly integrated with the environment in which the company operates. Innovations both in the vineyard and in the cellar, which aim to skilfully combine advanced technologies to support the production of elegant and balanced wines, respectful of their territory of origin.

Banfi is the custodian of a fantastic territory in which it has been operating for 40 years. The commitment, certified in the annual Sustainability Report is to preserve and hand over to future generations an area that is even healthier, intact and liveable than the present one. 

"As a company whose product comes from the earth, we know that our success goes hand in hand with respect for the environment," says Cristina Mariani-May, "Our sustainable operation must continue to evolve, taking into account the fact that every action must be socially fair, environmentally safe and economically viable. Operating sustainably must improve the relationship with the environment without, however, hindering the quality of production'.

The company is celebrating this important anniversary with a series of initiatives in Italy and around the world. The first official event was in Siena, followed by Rome, Strevi (home of Banfi's Piedmontese winery), Florence, Zurich, Berlin, Moscow, Milan, Naples, Shanghai, Hong Kong and finally New York.

The events are an emotional journey through the wines that have made Banfi's history, with a tasting at a tasting booth.

On Friday, 19 October, at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino, a conference will be held to present the project for the restoration and study of Brunella, the Pliocene baleen whale found at Poggio alle Mura in 2007 and dating back some four million years. The conference, entitled Discovering Brunella, the fossil whale of Poggio alle Mura, will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be dedicated exclusively to pupils and teachers of the Montalcino Primary School. Dr. Michelangelo Bisconti, from the San Diego Natural History Museum, will illustrate the excavation and restoration work currently underway at the Castello Banfi site-laboratory, the multidisciplinary scientific study conducted in collaboration with various universities, and the programme of educational and training activities. These include the School Camp in Palaeobiological Excavation and Restoration, now in its third edition, which will be held from 12 to 17 November, and free guided tours of the laboratory open to schoolchildren and the public.

On the same day at 3.30 p.m., at Castello Banfi, Arch. Anna Di Bene, Soprintendente Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo, will officially open the initiative Open Yardwith the first two days of free guided tours scheduled for Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 October from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:30 to 17:00.

The restoration and study work is part of the Brunella Project, the result of collaboration between the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo, the Banfi company and the Istituto di Studi Archeo-Antropologici. The project is supported by an Art Bonus grant from the Banfi company to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, as well as the patronage and support of the Municipality of Montalcino and the recognition of prestigious Italian and international scientific institutions.

The 10 Septembrhe 2nd edition of the Summer School of Sanguis Jovis-Alta Scuola del Sangiovese, the first Study Centre on Italy's most widely cultivated grape variety, will get underway. After the great success of the previous edition, the theme for this new course will once again be extremely topical and strongly linked - but not limited - to the climate change currently underway: Climate, Vine, Winery, Market: what will the Sangiovese of the future be like?

Professor Attilio Scienza and Professor Alberto Mattiacci, respectively President and Director of Sanguis Jovis, from the height of their acknowledged excellence in the scientific and didactic field, will guarantee, as in the past, the absolute qualitative and interdisciplinary level of the courses. The President of the Banfi Foundation, Rodolfo Maralli, points out that "The project, of which the Banfi Foundation is the promoter, was born in 2017 in the territory that symbolises Sangiovese, Montalcino, with the desire to increase and spread the culture of this extraordinary vine, through scientific research, the communication of knowledge and higher education.

From 10 to 14 September 2018, at O.CR.A. Officina Creativa dell'Abitare (Via Boldrini 4, Montalcino- Siena), with the 2nd edition of the Summer School, twenty students (10 Students, graduates no more than 18 months old, and 10 Professionals), all selected through a call for admission, will be able to follow the training course. The participation costs of the 10 Students will be totally covered by scholarships offered by local companies and institutions. The deadline for sending applications is 10 August 2018 and the complete call for applications is available on the Banfi Foundation website: https://fondazionebanfi.it/it/sanguis-jovis/formazione.php.

During the course, an attempt will be made to analyse and give concrete answers from an oenological, agronomic and marketing point of view to the climatic changes that are undoubtedly modifying and will modify the production of wine, specifically Sangiovese-based wine, thanks to lecturers and experts in the field who will bring their testimony and experience to the class.

It will begin with 'The vine's response to climate change', and continue on Tuesday 11 September with 'The impact of climate change on the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of soils and vine diseases'. On 12 September, 'Interventions in cultivation techniques to mitigate the effects of climate change with a view to sustainability' will be discussed, while on 13 September the issue will be explored from an oenological point of view, 'Climate change on the composition of wine, microbiological and oenological interventions'. Friday 14 will close with a day entirely dedicated to marketing and communication: 'New climate, new markets?