Melody of Wine 2014: the festival dedicated to Tuscan wine excellence, combined with concerts by top international classical music artists, will take place from 26 June to 6 July.
On 1 July, the notes of François -Joel Thiollier's piano will resound in the evocative setting of the walls of Castello Banfia Montalcino during the third stage of the festival.
François-Joel Thiollier is one of today's most accomplished pianists and musicians. Franco-American by birth, he has assimilated the best of several cultures; born in Paris, he gave his first concert in New York at the age of 5. His vast repertoire, exceptional musical culture and mastery of the keyboard are the key to his international success. Thiollier now plays in more than 40 countries with the most prestigious orchestras, including the Moscow and Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestras and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Melody of Wine 2014
"We are delighted to host the Melodia del Vino Festival for the fourth consecutive year," says Cristina Mariani-May. The idea of fusing the harmony of all the senses, from classical music to the excellence of the wines of a prestigious territory such as Tuscany, into a single, extraordinary experience is proving to be increasingly convincing. And, on the other hand, we are not new to this type of initiative. In fact, from 15 to 20 July the seventeenth edition of Jazz & Wine in Montalcino will take place, the first jazz festival born in Italy to celebrate the encounter between great jazz music and quality wine'.
Guests will be able to enter Castello Banfi from 6.30 p.m. onwards. The concert will be preceded (7.00 pm) by an aperitif with a tasting of two prestigious labels selected by Banfi: La Pettegola Vermentino 2013 and Cum Laude 2011. The concert will start at 8.30 p.m.
Banfi, historical background
Banfi was founded in 1978 by the Italian-American brothers John and Harry Mariani. Right from the start, the two brothers envisaged a large-scale project, integrating quality wine production with a modern winery with the aim of always maintaining the high quality level of the wines produced.
Situated on the south-west side of the commune of Montalcino, the estate occupies 2,830 hectares, of which over 800 are planted with specialised vineyards, while the rest of the property is occupied by woods, olive groves, and other crops.
In those same years, the Mariani brothers also took over the historic Piedmontese wine house Bruzzone, active since 1860 and specialised in the production of sparkling wines, to make it the group's Piedmontese brand, today Banfi Piemonte.
Banfi has recently expanded into other Tuscan territories, from Chianti Classico with the management of 40 ha. of vineyards, to Bolgheri, where a small vineyard was purchased in 2013.
