On 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?

From 12 to 22 July, the event combining world stars and excellent wines returns

Here is the 2018 edition of Jazz&Wine in Montalcino: a parade of stars in the lands of Brunello

This is the twenty-first edition of the festival born from the collaboration between the Banfi winery, the Rubei family of the Alexanderplatz in Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino. 

A parade of stars in the land of Brunello: from 12 to 22 July, Jazz&Wine in Montalcino returns, the festival that combines great jazz music and quality wine in a truly unmissable programme.

In the marvellous village of Montalcino (SI), world stars will arrive to breathe new life into one of the longest-running and best-known festivals on the Italian music scene, which is the result of a collaboration between the well-known Banfi winery, the Rubei family of the Alexanderplatz in Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino.

Exciting preview Thursday 12 July with DAYNA STEPHENS GROUP starring in the extraordinary "Waiting for Jazz&Wine" concert that, as usual, will take place within the walls of Castello Banfi.

One of the most esteemed saxophonists and composers of the new generation, Dayna Stephens returns to Italy with a stellar band featuring Taylor Eigsti (piano), Michał Barański (d.bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums) and offers an enthralling show, where acoustic textures merge with electronic ones.

Tuesday 17 July the festival opens at Castello Banfi with the fresh and captivating sound of 'contemporary jazz' by DIRTY SIX, the ensemble of the best of Italian jazz in recent years: Daniele Scannapieco (sax), Claudio Filippini (piano), Lorenzo Tucci (drums), Tommaso Scannapieco (bass), Gianfranco Campagnoli (trumpet) and Roberto Schiano (trombone).

Unmissable Wednesday 18 July the appointment with the Jazz & Wine Orchestra directed by Mario Corvini, which as every year kicks off the concerts in the Montalcino Fortress with a great international guest. The energetic big band of almost 20 elements created to celebrate the marriage between wine and jazz, which has made this festival famous throughout the world, will host Argentine saxophonist and composer Javier Girotto in a performance of tango jazz as we have never heard it before.

A bet won by the Jazz & Wine Orchestra: among the very first to believe in a project such as this, today the orchestra, which has won the SIAE award, is present at the best national festivals and has been the resident orchestra at the Montalcino festival since 2015.

Thursday 19 July here is the first of two great world-class events to which Jazz&Wine has accustomed us: on stage the elegance, charisma and energy of Billy Hart Quartet ft Joshua Redman.

Joshua Redman, one of the most acclaimed artists on the international jazz scene, considered among the most important saxophonists in the world, takes the stage alongside the trio of drummer Billy Hart, a legend of American jazz, creating a true all-star band, with Ethan Iverson on piano, and Ben Street on double bass. An appointment not to be missed.

In its desire to celebrate the best Italian jazz, the festival offers 'Around Gershwin', the show that on Friday 20 July sees on stage Giovanni Tommaso (c.bass), Rita Marcotulli (piano) two performers who boast collaborations with international stars accompanied by Alessandro Paternesi (drums). The trio will give life to an enthralling appointment with a repertoire dedicated to famous standards by George Gershwin and some original compositions by Giovanni Tommaso.

The festival continues on Saturday 21 July with 'In Motion Beat', the band that brings together musicians from five different countries and brings to Europe the best of the New York melting pot, the city where they have been living and working for years. The group's sound represents the heterogeneous cultural background of its musicians, who are Eleni Arapoglou (vocals), Erin Bentlage (vocals), Daniel Rotem (saxophone), Mike Bono (guitar), Christian Li (piano), Luca Alemanno (bass),Roberto Giaquinto (drums).

Grand finale on Sunday 22 July with the other big international star of this edition. At the Fortezza di Montalcino comes Christian McBride's New Jawn. McBride is one of the most influential and respected musicians in the contemporary music world. Winner of no fewer than five Grammy Awards, he has been involved in the recording of more than 300 albums of all genres. His double bass is the pillar on which the balances of countless bands have rested. With him Josh Evans(trumpet),Marcus Strickland(saxophone) andNasheet Waits(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

Cristina Mariani-May was appointed Woman of the Year 2018the prestigious award of the authoritative magazine The Drinks Business.

As every year, the winners were announced on 22 May at the London Wine Fair, at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in West London, in the presence of some of the most authoritative representatives of the wine industry.

Now in its 16th year, The Drinks Business Awards has become one of the most internationally recognised events and its awards among the most coveted in the alcoholic beverages sector, represented in all different areas, from retail to importers, marketing campaigns, logistics and design.

Cristina Mariani-May, representative of the third family generation, joined the company in 1993 and climbed through all the positions until becoming, earlier this year, CEO of Banfi Vintners, thus becoming one of the few female CEOs in the wine industry.

Mariani-May travels frequently, visiting many of the 86 countries where Banfi wines are present. A charismatic and engaging speaker, one of her main goals is to continue to develop the name of Banfi and the quality of its wines around the world. Married to Marshall, amidst her many daily commitments, she manages to find time to devote to her family and her three children, as well as to running marathons (she has participated in a dozen and recently completed a 50 km ultra marathon)!

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 viticultural potential of the Montalcino territory and its symbolic vine, Sangiovese, promoting innovative scientific studies on soils and Sangiovese, hitherto with a hitherto unknown potential. Equally pioneering were the innovations in the cellar, 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, study, research 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 publicationLa 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 research must, however, be translated into concrete, modern innovations that are 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 that respect the territory of origin.

Banfi is the custodian of a fantastic territory in which it has been operating for 40 years. Its commitment, certified in the annual Sustainability Report, is to preserve and pass on 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 operations must continue to evolve, taking into account the fact that every action must be socially fair, safe for the environment and economically sustainable. Operating in a sustainable manner must improve the relationship with the environment without, however, hindering the quality of production'.

The company will celebrate this important anniversary with a series of initiatives in Italy and around the world. It starts tomorrow, 15 May, with the first official event at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena where, for the first time, the headquarters of the famous musical institution will be the setting for an event celebrating a special birthday: it will be an emotional journey through the wines that have made Banfi's history with a tasting at a tasting desk. This will be followed in the coming months by Rome (5 June, Casa dei Cavalieri di Rodi), Zurich, Florence, Milan, Moscow, Berlin, New York, Hong Kong and London.

It is with pleasure that we share with you some fantastic news.

In Friday's morning edition past CNBC Squawk Box Cristina Mariani-May recounts Banfi's innovations and history. The clip, entitled 'Banfi Vintners Innovate Wine Industry After Nearly 100 Years,' can be viewed on The Squawk Box (UVM: 26,089,258), and also on MSN Money (UVM: 10,033,031).

For downloading: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/02/23/banfi-vintners-innovates-wine-industry-after-nearly-100-years.html

The first permanent Study Centre on Sangiovese, set up in Montalcino a year ago thanks to the Banfi Foundation, with Sanguis Jovis - Alta Scuola del Sangiovese, gets into full swing with the first Winter School to be held from 14 to 16 March. The theme addressed will be extremely topical, The storytelling of Sangiovese in the digital era.

(Montalcino, 8 February, 2018) - In 2017, thanks to an idea of theFondazione Banfi, the first permanent Study Centre on Sangiovese was born in Montalcino: Sanguis Jovis - Alta Scuola del Sangiovese. The aim of the Study Centre is to do research, spread knowledge, train technicians and wine enthusiasts.

The President of Sanguis Jovis is Professor Attilio Scienza, while Professor Alberto Mattiaccine is the Scientific Director. Two figures of excellence on the Italian academic scene, and an absolute guarantee, therefore, of the high scientific content of the courses.

From 14 to 16 March 2018, at O.CR.A. Officina Creativa dell'Abitare (Via Boldrini 4, Montalcino- Siena), with the first edition of the Winter School, twenty students selected by means of a call for admission (the call expires on 16 February) will follow a training course oriented to the marketing and communication of Sangiovese, the theme, in fact, will be 'The Storytelling of Sangiovese in the digital era'(https://fondazionebanfi.it/it/sanguis-jovis/formazione.php).

The course intends to investigate one of the main characteristics of contemporary wine markets, namely the high value contribution that is recognised to the intangible component of the bottle, providing the necessary skills in the digital social environment and with particular reference to Sangiovese production.

(Montalcino, 30 January, 2017) - On 29 January, in the evocative setting of Castello Banfi's Glass and Bottle Museum, the limited edition of La Pettegola was presented. To celebrate the five years since the first harvest and on the occasion of the winery's fortieth anniversary, Banfi's Vermentino is proposed in a limited edition (only twenty thousand bottles), in a version completely reinterpreted by the illustrator Alessandro Baronciani.

The artist, born in 1974 and originally from Pesaro, works between Pesaro and Milan. He is an illustrator, art director for advertising agencies and graphic designer, and draws comic strips. He works for several magazines and has a comic strip on the history of music in Rumore Magazine. With Black Velvet, he has published two comic novels: Quando tutto diventò blu (When Everything Turned Blue) and Una storia a fumetti (A Comic Book Story), a book that collects an editorial experiment that lasted five years, during which Alessandro wrote, drew, photocopied and mailed his stories to subscribing readers who became, through their letters, the characters of the story.

The illustration completely envelops the bottle of La Pettegola, leaving the original label intact.

This is how Baronciani describes the project: 'The foliage intertwines to create an impenetrable green blanket. It is time to uncork a bottle of La Pettegola, before the shadows lengthen in the evening twilight. At the sound of the cork slipping from the neck of the bottle, the branches of the hedge gasp. The snow-white face of a girl appears among the leaves. Her mischievous gaze searches for something, someone. No one knows. I pour the wine into the goblet and the notes of white fruit are the promise of its fresh, full taste. With each sip the girl acquires more and more charm and charisma. The glass is emptied and, just as she had appeared, La Pettegola vanishes, leaving only the lingering memory of an emotion difficult to forget'.

Born in Bleggio Superiore, Trento, in the north of Italy, Rudy graduated in 1981 from the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige, one of the world's leading schools of oenology. In 1983, he 'went down south', as he liked to say with Italian pride, for an internship experience at the fledgling Banfi estate in Montalcino. Having fallen in love with the territory and the company, he decided to stay, and in 1999, he was appointed Director Oenologist, a position previously held by his mentor Ezio Rivella. At the time of his death, Buratti supervised nine managers, as well as fifty workers assigned to various tasks in the cellar, happily maintaining direct relations with the Mariani family, owners of Castello Banfi.

We would like to share with all of you the farewell to Rudy made yesterday by Cristina Mariani-May during the funeral. "The untimely death of our dear friend and colleague Rudy is a huge loss for the entire wine world. That world of wine that Rudy loved until his final hours and to which he dedicated 35 years of his life with passion, humility and courage. The first to enter the cellar, the last to leave, only after checking that every single detail was in place, that each wine was evolving in the best possible way and that each member of his team was working with the same passion, accuracy and punctuality. He worked like this every day, uninterruptedly until his last day, a week ago when, already sorely tried by his illness, he left his beloved cellar and his people, his second family, for the last time. Rudy leaves a huge void in all of us, an unbridgeable void for his wife Ursula and for Alexandra and Carlotta, his young and beloved daughters. But he also leaves so much hope in those who remain and so many beautiful and indelible memories. Hello Rudy, it has been an honour to have you by our side for all these years. We will remember you in every wine we drink, in every goblet we raise to the sky and in all the battles we win together. Thank you."

The young oenological team that Buratti has had the opportunity to grow, will follow his teachings, continuing to work with the same passion for research and for this territory, where Rudy arrived when he was only 22 years old. Rudy had the opportunity to experience the energy of the beginning of Banfi's history, from the early 1980s, when the most important research projects began, which made Banfi grow into what it is today. In all these years, since 1999, when he became oenologist director, he has transferred all his knowledge to his team, day after day, working side by side and passing on to them the sense of humility, courage, love of experimentation and foresight that have always distinguished him.

The young oenological team will continue to work and follow his path, with the same spirit that Rudy has shown him over many years.

The world of wine, Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, the wine shop, the Banfi restaurants in the prestigious magazine 'Ville e Giardini'.

"Close your eyes, imagine yourself a few months from now, when the great cold will have passed and a shy spring will already be peeping around you. Add to that a few days away from work and stress, to relax in a celebrated place on the Italian landscape and in a residence of absolute charm. We are at Castello Banfi in the Montalcino area of Tuscany: a paradise for the eyes, the palate and the mind."

Read the full article here.

Discover more

The list published by WineEnthusiast includes 10 destinations around the world, from Australia to the United States (California and Colorado) and then France, China, Austria, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay and Tuscany with the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the section dedicated to Tuscany, La Taverna Banfi is listed among the best restaurants in which to dine and Castello Banfi among the best wineries where to stop for a tasting.