29 August 2012 - Concha y Toro's fine wines are called upon to represent Chile at the opening event of the 13th edition of the International Architecture Exhibition, to be held in Venice from 29 August to 25 November 2012

The fine wines of Concha y Toro are invited to represent Chile at the opening event of the 13th edition of the International Architecture Exhibition, which will take place in Venice from 29 August to 25 November 2012. The guests present will be able to toast with two of the most representative wines of the Casillero del Diablo line, produced by Concha y Toro: the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The 2012 edition of the Exhibition, titled Common Ground, directed by David Chipperfield and organised by la Biennale di Venezia, includes a single exhibition itinerary, from the Central Pavilion to the Giardini to the Arsenale. For the occasion, 66 projects by architects, photographers, artists, critics and scholars from all over the world will be presented. Present for Chile is Alejandro Aravena, with the project Elemental. 

VIÑA CONCHA Y TORO

Concha y Toro is the symbol of Chilean wine in the world. Latin America's leading wine exporter, Concha y Toro is present in 135 countries: a 'global' company, where tradition and innovation meet to offer excellent wines. In 2011, Concha y Toro received an important recognition from one of the leading British wine magazines: it was awarded the title 'Most Admired Wine Brand', surpassing other big names in world oenology, such as Antinori and Chateau Lafite. 2011 was a defining year, with increased penetration in key markets, an expansion of the product portfolio and a record profit of USD 50,482 million. Viña Concha y Toro is exclusively distributed in Italy by Banfi Distribuzione s.r.l..

CASILLERO DEL DIABLO: THE LEGEND

The legend of the 'devil's cellar' began more than 100 years ago, when Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, the founder of the winery, started buying some of the most famous wines in the world. In order to avoid being a victim of theft by his employees, Don Melchor spreads the rumour that the devil inhabits the cellar where he keeps his prestigious wines. From that moment on, the winery takes the name 'Casillero del Diablo'. Today, Casillero del Diablo is a selection of fresh, ready-to-drink monovarietals, which, thanks to several months of ageing in wood, also offer a fair degree of complexity. These wines are perfect for consumption outside meals as well as in combination with Italian dishes. Thanks to a wide and careful selection, Casillero del Diablo gives us the opportunity to discover the true essence of the Chilean valleys and the expression of the most typical and emblematic vines of that land, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Carménère, extinct in Europe due to phyllossera and surviving only in faraway Chile. These wines have received many important awards from the world's most prestigious wine publications.

A NEW DEVIL FOR MANCHESTER UNITED

In 2010, the alliance between the British team Manchester United and Concha y Toro resulted in Casillero del Diablo becoming the wine of the club led by Sir Alex Ferguson. For Concha y Toro, this agreement represented a great opportunity, as Manchester is a team that inspires admiration worldwide. Moreover, the shared values and history of both institutions made the partnership even closer and more beneficial.

LIGHTER BOTTLES FOR CASILLERO DEL DIABLO

Casillero del Diablo has demonstrated its commitment to the environment by reducing the glass used for its bottles, without making any visible changes to the packaging. The initiative aims to reduce over 2,000 tonnes of glass per year; this also corresponds to less energy consumed in the production processes of the Casillero del Diablo line. In its commitment to the environment, Concha y Toro also measures its 'ecological footprint' with respect to water consumption, which was found to be 40% less than that estimated for a company of its same level.

BANFI CASTLE

Immersed in the extraordinary terroir of Montalcino, and always devoted to the pursuit of quality, it produces wines all characterised by a soul deeply rooted in this unique and extraordinary territory. A reference point for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi was established in 1978 by the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development. Situated on the south-west side of the commune of Montalcino, the estate occupies 2,830 hectares, of which approximately 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves, and other crops.

Next 5 July, on the occasion of the second edition of the music festival inspired by the French Grands Crus Musicaux, Castello Banfi will host a concert by Russian Maestro Alexander Kniazev.

After the great success of the first edition, the Melodia del Vino Festival returns, a true journey through Tuscan wine excellence, together with the magic of international classical music.

Melody of Wine 2012

On 5 July, on the occasion of the fifth and penultimate stage of the Festival, in the evocative setting of the walls of Castello Banfi in Montalcino, the notes of Alexander Knaziev, the international star of this second edition of the Festival, will resound in the Cello Recital. Considered by critics to be the heir of Mstislav Rostropovich, the Russian Maestro began studying the cello at an early age, under the guidance of Alexander Fedorchenko. Awarded in the most prestigious competitions such as the Moscow Tchaikovsky and Vilnius, he has the opportunity to play with the most important artists of international renown. During his career, he has received many critical awards, especially for the disc dedicated to Max Reger and the one dedicated to Ernest Bloch's 'Schelomo'. Besides playing with some of the most famous conductors (Temirkanov, Rostropovich, Bashmet), he has collaborated with numerous European orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

The programme

During the evening, participants will have the opportunity to taste two prestigious labels from Banfi's wide range of wines: the San Angelo Pinot Grigio 2011 and the Belnero 2009.

Peugeot, one of the main sponsors of the event, will be present at Castello Banfi with two of its new models, the 3008 HYbrid4 and the 508 RXH, two cars that, thanks to their extremely environmentally friendly technical excellence, are perfectly in line with Melody of Wine.

"Collaborating on this second edition of the Melodia del Vino Festival," says Cristina Mariani-May, "seemed natural to us, especially after the excellent public and critical acclaim obtained in the first edition. Maestro Marc Laforet and Michel Gotlib, the creators of the project, thought of merging the harmony of all the senses, from classical music to the excellence of the wines of a prestigious territory like Tuscany, into a single, extraordinary experience."

Castello Banfi, immersed in this extraordinary terroir and always devoted to the pursuit of quality, produces wines all characterised by a soul deeply rooted in this unique and extraordinary territory. A point of reference for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi was established in 1978 by the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development. Located on the south-west side of the municipality of MontalcinoThe estate covers 2,830 hectares, of which approximately 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves, and other crops.

Festival Mission

Melodia del Vino will take place from 26 June to 7 July 2012. The Festival, which is modelled on its French twin "Grands Crus Musicaux", proposes itself as an "ideal bridge" between the excellence of Tuscany and France; this is why the Region of Tuscany has decided to adhere to and support the initiative since its first edition in the summer of 2011. The creators of the highly original format are Maestro Marc Laforet, artistic director of both events, and Michel Gotlib, a childhood friend of Maestro Laforet, wine and music enthusiast and president of the MelodiadelVino Festival. Melodiadelvino is an event that has chosen to promote itself thanks to the Internet. Fondazione Sistema Toscana, which is already in charge of the online promotion of Tuscany on behalf of the Region of Tuscany, manages the event's official website www.melodiadelvino.it and will take care of its social campaign.

This summer in London, the world's greatest athletes will have a place where they can relax and feel at home: it is the Nike VIP House.

Nike for the second time, after Beijing, confirmed the eclectic Italian chef Nicola Batavia and the cuisine made in Italy.

Talking to him, a very strong emotion for everything related to food, wine and everything that revolves around it shines through. "Casa Nike is an enchanted place where gold medallists from every discipline and speciality meet. But it is also the place where these great personalities can relax and breathe, it is an amalgamation of cultures, colours, languages, a world that arouses strong emotions," says the Chef. "Being there is a privilege, and a stimulus for my passion: cooking. "A cuisine steeped in Italian flavours and fragrances that with its simplicity has won over these great sportsmen and women.

It is precisely with Italian traditions and typicality in mind that Nicola Batavia will cook for athletes and guests, once again making Made in Italy the flag symbol of quality, health and well-being in sport but also in everyday life.

Castello Banfi wines with Nicola Batavia in London

Alongside the excellence of its cuisine, it could not miss the excellence of Made in Italy wine, an inseparable pair in the Italian tradition. Hence the collaboration with Castello Banfi which, for this important occasion, will present a selection of its prized labels.

These include wines that best express the Chinese terroir and are the symbol of Castello Banfi in the world, from the Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2010from Brunello di Montalcino 2007 to the precious Florus Moscadello di Montalcino 2010 Vendemmia Tardiva, and these are joined by one of Banfi's iconic wines in Piedmont, the Brachetto d'Acqui Rosa Regale.

Castello Banfi, immersed in the extraordinary terroir of Montalcino, and always devoted to the pursuit of quality, produces wines all characterised by a soul deeply rooted in this unique and extraordinary territory. A point of reference for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi was established in 1978 by the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development. Located on the south-west side of the municipality of Montalcino, the estate occupies 2,830 hectares, of which approximately 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves and other crops.

Scott Hamilton, Reggie Washington, Tom Harrell, Kurt Elling, Nick the Nightfly and many other big names to celebrate jazz and great wine.

The fifteenth edition of Jazz&Wine in Montalcino, one of the longest-running events on the Italian music scene, the result of the collaboration between Castello Banfi, the well-known Montalcino winery, the cultural association Jazz&Image of Rome and the Municipality of Montalcino, will once again feature a programme of the highest level, with Italian and international artists of unquestionable fame.

Jazz & Wine in Montalcino 2012: the programme

The festival will open on Tuesday 17 July, as usual, within the historic walls of Castello Banfi with the quintet of the great sax-tenor Scott Hamilton. From Wednesday 18 July, the festival will move to the splendid 14th-century fortress of Montalcino with Nicola Stilo Sextet, the Roman flutist who, among his many national and international appearances, also counts the prestigious ongoing collaboration he had with Chet Baker in the 1980s. On Thursday 19 July, the festival features Tom Harrell Quintet. Described by Newsweek as one of the purest and most creative living musicians and composers, this year Tom Harrel won Downbeat International's Grammy Award for best solo trumpet.

It will continue on Friday 20 July with a legend of contemporary jazz, Reggie Washington, who will be at Jazz&Wine in one of the few Italian stops on the tour that sees him present his second CD, Freedom. Saturday 21 July will then be the turn of the historic voice of the programme Montecarlo Nights: Nick the Nightfly, for the first time in Montalcino with his quintet to present Nice One. To worthily close this 15th edition of the festival, on Sunday 22 July, the voice of Kurt Elling accompanied by Charlie Hunter's guitar.

For the 15th consecutive year, two such intimate and intense pleasures, jazz music and great quality wine, are celebrating their exciting encounter in the symbolic town of Brunello, Montalcino, with increasing success.

2012 edition: what's new

In the 2012 edition, however, there is also a great novelty: the twinning project involving some of the longest-running Jazz&Wine festivals in Italy. In addition to Jazz&Wine in Montalcino, the following are joining this interesting initiative: Zola Jazz&Wine (Zola Predosa, 25 May-26 June 2012) and Jazz&Wine of Peace (Cormòns, 25-28 October 2012). This is a unique opportunity for comparison with territorial and production realities that differ from each other but share the same passion for great Jazz.

(Montalcino, 22 May 2012) - Montalcino's roads, made legendary in the 1980s by the World Rally Championship, will once again be the protagonists of the Tuscan Rewindthe attractive dirt track race for historic cars, now in its third year.

Castello Banfi official sponsor of Tuscan Rewind 2012

The race, whose protagonists will include some of the greatest rally champions of yesterday and today, will be flanked by a number of initiatives linked to special anniversaries. Among these is the parade reserved for the 25th anniversary celebration of the 'queen' Lancia Delta, in which all Delta owners will be able to parade, as well as some of the champions who have made it legendary in rallies.

Castello Banfi, which has been following Tuscan Rewind since the first edition, this year, in addition to the Trophy - with the estate's great wines as prizes - is offering the winner of the Historic category a weekend stay in the splendid Banfi Castle-Il Borgo.

Castello Banfi was founded in 1978, at the behest of the Mariani family, who decided to develop a centre of excellence in Montalcino for the production of quality wines, indissolubly linking Banfi to this territory and its development.

Located in the south-west of the municipality of MontalcinoThe estate occupies 2,830 hectares, of which about 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, testifying to a unique heritage and experience.

A point of reference for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi has also always been a producer of one of the most historic and prized Tuscan appellations, that of Chianti Classico DOCG.

And today, with the management of around forty hectares of specialised vineyards in the heart of this marvellous territory, in Castellina in Chianti, it proposes a new Chianti Classico DOCG: Fonte alla Selva.

Chianti Classico DOCG: Fonte alla Selva

Banfi, faithful to its quality values as well as its extraordinary attention to the territory in which it operates, presented the first vintage of Fonte alla Selva 2010 during the last Vinitaly. With its broad, well-balanced structure and excellent persistence, the new label fully reflects the elegance and personality that distinguish the Banfi Chianti family.

On Fonte alla Selva is only available for the traditional channel, and the family will be completed next year with the release of the Riserva.

The award, presented by the British magazine The Drink Business, is the world's highest accolade given to companies that are committed to the environment.

Sustainability and 'green' consciousness are a constantly growing reality in the world and in Chile. This time, it is Viña Emiliana that has been nominated as the 'greenest company of the year' during the 'Green Award 2012' competition, organised by the prestigious British magazine The Drink Business.

This is the most important award category in the wine and spirits industry. The award is presented to the company that has demonstrated - in the best possible way - its commitment to the environment, its employees, and the community, and that has made significant progress in its business practices in order to increase its 'ecological footprint'.

To become 100% organic and a producer of high quality wines - and one of the largest in the world - the Chilean company's team included high-level projects, from energy-saving programmes to Corporate Social Responsibility activities. 

"When we embarked on this project more than ten years ago, we were innovators and visionaries, and today we are realising that being organic and sustainable at 100% from the social to the environmental to the economic perspectives is possible. We are tremendously proud to get this award and it motivates us to continue our work in the same direction,' says José Guilisanti, General Manager of Viña Emiliana.

In addition to this important award, Viña Emiliana also won the 'Sustainability' award, leaving behind companies from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Portugal, and many other countries. This award is given to the winery that has made the greatest efforts to achieve better and more efficient sustainable procedures. 

The Green Awards 2012 ceremony took place on Monday 26 March at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel. Emiliana sales director Christian Rodriguez accepted the award for his company. What began as a dream more than ten years ago is now incorporated into a portfolio of high quality wines that have received major national and international awards: a winery that adapts to the changes needed in the consumer world.

Mundus Wines 2011Important awards for Castello Banfi.

Cristina Mariani-Mayowner of the renowned Castello Banfi winery in Montalcino, is preparing with her team of oenologists for one of the Brunello di Montalcino vintages most interesting and challenging in recent years.

"The weather variations of the past months have given us unexpected conditions," says Cristina Mariani-May. "The short, but intense, heatwave has had the effect of reducing production, so we now need to pay special attention and care both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Our continuous research and our perseverance in the search for excellence allow us to cope with adverse conditions while maintaining very high quality standards, both for our Brunellos di Montalcino and our SuperTuscans'.

Brunello Harvest 2011: For Castello Banfi, selection is the key to success

The 2011 vintage started late, with a cool spring and abundant rainfall. Temperatures below seasonal averages continued until July, but from mid-August until the beginning of September, the effects of the anticyclone over the African continent brought temperatures well above 38 degrees Celsius. Sufficient water resources were available to the vines, avoiding stress. However, in those vineyards where the grapes were most exposed, the scorching sun literally burnt the grapes.

These conditions are radically different from the great heat of 2003, and also from the tendentially cold weather of 2002: this vintage is more like the 2000 harvest, which started similarly with generally cooler weather followed by a momentary, but intense, rise in temperatures during August.

"We finished the white harvest last week, with a sudden reduction in yield from 30% to 40%," said Cristina Mariani-May. "This week we started the harvest of Merlot and Syrah: the key was the hand picking of the grapes, and this method will be even more vital in the coming weeks, as we start the harvest of the sensitive Sangiovese. In general, we have to carefully select the grapes in the vineyards, and then check them again when they arrive at the winery'.

Hand-picked grapes

Since the birth of Castello Banfi in 1978, the grapes in the vineyards for the production of the most important wines were always harvested by hand. In 2007, however, a double triage was added to the selection of the grapes in the cellar: an initial, general manual control of the bunches arriving at the winery, followed by an individual selection of the destemmed grapes, and then completed with a further optical screening, which carries out weight and density tests. The selected grapes are then vinified separately in individual Horizon fermenters, composite vats made of stainless steel and French oak, developed and patented by Castello Banfi with the objective of obtaining the best from both materials used. Castello Banfi, in collaboration with the universities of Pisa and Milan, has conducted research aimed at isolating a selection of excellent Sangiovese clones capable of producing an exceptional Brunello di Montalcino.

"We would have preferred to have favourable weather conditions like in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2009," said Cristina Mariani-May, "but decades of research have prepared us to deal with the vagaries of nature, and our team knows how to deal with vintages like these.

Castello Banfi, a winery owned by the Mariani family, was awarded Best Italian Winery 12 times at Vinitaly for having managed to combine entrepreneurship, high quality, technological innovation and tradition, always with the utmost respect for the territory, in the thirty years of its history. The first winery to obtain Ethical, Social and Environmental Responsibility (ISO 14001 and SA 8000) and Product and Service Quality and Customer Respect (ISO 9001:2000) certifications. The medieval castle overlooking the vineyards has become a key point of Tuscan hospitality with its wine bar, La Taverna restaurant, Il Borgo boutique hotel and glass museum.

Once again The Tavern of Castello Banfi is the only winery restaurant in Italy to be awarded the Certificate of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine.

The prize for the best wine list is awarded to those restaurants that present attractive wine selections that go well with their cuisine, and therefore capture the attention of wine lovers and enthusiasts.

To qualify for the award, the wine list must provide complete and accurate information, including all vintages and appellations, even for wines offered by the glass. In addition to this, great consideration is given to the presentation of the list, while the presence of the producer's name and correct spelling are basic requirements.

Wine Spectator, considered one of the most authoritative international trade magazines, recognises this award of excellence to less than 3,000 restaurants worldwide.

La Taverna awarded by Wine Spectator

The Taverna Banfi offers its services to both visitors passing through and guests of Castello Banfi - Il Borgo, the hotel structure adjacent to the castle that offers 14 luxurious rooms and suites. For information and reservations, please contact: reservation@banfi.it