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.

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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.

For the third year running Banfi was awarded the Ecofriendly Award 2018.

The award is the result of Vinibuoni d'Italia's collaboration with Amorim Cork Italia, Repower and Verallia.

The prerequisites behind the creation of the award are to understand the type and extent of problems affecting environmental protection, to activate measures to minimise the impact of business activities and to reduce the socio-economic costs of spill-over, thus helping to promote new responsibilities towards consumers and helping to identify opportunities to innovate and save money.

Castello Banfi and Castello Banfi - Il Borgo are among the protagonists of the article in Forbes entitled: 'Slow Travel Through Central Tuscany: Breathe, Drink Sangiovese, Ignore Email'.

"For couples, especially on their honeymoon, Castello Banfi - Il Borgo fulfils all expectations: luxurious suites, breathtaking views, quality cuisine, a relaxing pool, a pastoral serenity, wine tastings, all experienced from a romantic observatory above the valley."

Read the full article, including some photos of the estate, at Forbes website.

Research, innovation and experimentation. These are the three watchwords well highlighted in the official communiqué that illustrated the agreement between the Edmund Mach Foundation of San Michele all'Adige (Trento) and Banfi, a historical reality of Italian viticulture and one of the best known in the world when it comes to Brunello di Montalcino.

Three concepts that, according to the two protagonists of this renewed partnership, are fundamental if one wants to pursue with coherence and seriousness an issue that is now, more than ever, on the agenda, namely that of environmental sustainability.

(Source L'Informatore Agrario, 4 August 2017)

In the next issue of The Drink Business, an interview with Cristina Mariani May.
'Banfi has always believed strongly in hospitality. For this reason, the winery has been designed to welcome visitors and open its doors to wine lovers visiting the beautiful countryside in southern Tuscany'.

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Castello Banfi - Il Borgo won 2nd place in the 'Wine Country Retreat' category of the Afar award.
Thanks to all the staff for the work they continually do to make our guests' stay excellent. Thank you to all the travellers who have chosen us!