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				<title>联盟酒的Brunello蒙塔尔奇诺</title>
		<description>联盟酒的Brunello蒙塔尔奇诺</description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 24 May 05 2013 16:35:22 W. Europe Daylight Time</pubDate>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 10 May 05 2013 16:58:24 W. Europe Daylight Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE CONSORTIUM OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO BRINGS AN ACTION AGAINST GIANFRANCO SOLDERA]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, considering the statements made by Gianfranco Soldera and published by the Corriere della Sera of 26<sup>th</sup> March last to be highly injurious, has decided to bring an action for libel against Mr Soldera. The suit, which will be filed with the Public Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office of Milan, refers to the part of the interview given by the owner of the Case Basse Estate where he defined the proposal of the Consortium to give him the &ldquo;wine of solidarity&rdquo;, with a different bottle and label, after an employee had drained the contents of his barrels down the drain, as &ldquo;inadmissible and offensive, a fraud to the consumers&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As underlined by Fabrizio Bindocci, Chairman of the Consortium, &ldquo;<i>we consider the lawsuit a necessary course of action to safeguard the image of the winemakers, of Brunello wine and of the entire territory of Montalcino. We feel deeply offended and damaged by these and other negative statements on the Consortium and the winemakers made by Mr Soldera following the event that struck him. Our decision was made as a result of the request voiced in unison by the winemakers to take a strong measure against someone who offends the reputation and work of each one of them. This is the only reason behind our decision, and we are very firm in underlining it, once and for all&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Pursuant to the lawsuit, the Board of the Consortium has also decided to immediately expel Gianfranco Soldera, as set forth in the articles of association. Despite his being a resigning member, Mr Soldera would have been part of the Consortium until 2015 &ndash; but his highly improper behaviour has determined the incompatibility of his participation in the Consortium.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Focusing on the motivation of the lawsuit, Chairman Bindocci wishes to stress &ldquo;<i>how incomprehensible it is to label as fraud a gesture that Mr Soldera himself, in a press release, had &lsquo;highly appreciated&rsquo; </i>&rdquo;. The entire phrase spoken by Gianfranco Soldera is: &ldquo;They wanted to give me their wine: I would have had to bottle it as if it were my own, not knowing where it came from. An inadmissible and offensive proposal, a real fraud to the consumers&rdquo;. The Consortium stresses that its proposal was meant as a symbolic gesture of solidarity, given that his wine estate had suffered great damage due to the act of vandalism.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><i>&ldquo;We consider it important to point out,&rdquo; </i>concludes Chairman Bindocci &ldquo;<i>that the statement reported by </i><i>Corriere della Sera, as well as the tone adopted by him and his groundless inferences made during that interview, have considerably damaged the image of Brunello and its territory, one of Italy&rsquo;s expressions of excellence worldwide&rdquo;. </i></p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 04 2013 16:14:29 W. Europe Daylight Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[“BRUNELLO IN THE HEART” MONTALCINO’s WINEMAKERS RECOUNT THEIR LIFE PASSION]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p align="center"><b>The publication edited by the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino presented at Vinitaly</b></p>
<p align="center"><i>Stories, testimonies and anecdotes by more than 200 winemakers, who rekindle, in 402 pages, the magic of Brunello between family, work and estate. The unique story of a unique territory.</i></p>
<p align="center"><b>&nbsp;</b></p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 8<sup>th</sup> April 2013 </i>&ndash; An invitation addressed to &ldquo;Brunello lovers&rdquo; to undertake a journey to discover the most hidden and intimate corners of the estates of Montalcino&rsquo;s winemakers. A journey aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the true magic of the great protagonist of world oenology. This is the driving force behind &ldquo;<b>Brunello in the heart</b>&rdquo;, the new book presented by the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino at Vinitaly in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Verona</st1:place></st1:city>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Yes, indeed, because even the greatest wine is rooted in the vineyard, in the territory and in the passion of its makers.<i> &ldquo;In these 402 pages,&rdquo; </i>comments the Chairman of the Consortium, <b>Fabrizio Bindocci</b>, <i>&laquo;this is exactly what the winemakers talk about, recalling their family and business history through the words and images taken from the drawers of their wine estates</i>&raquo;<i>. It is a</i> journey across a unique territory, where the memories of single individuals intertwine with those of both the Consortium and Montalcino, giving life to a &ldquo;group photograph&rdquo; depicting a winning team united by a common passion and love for their land and work.</p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>&laquo;In the book, the Montalcino wine estates come together and introduce themselves to all wine enthusiasts,</i>&raquo;<i> explains </i><b>Donatella Cinelli Colombini</b>, Vice Chairperson of the Consortium, <i>&laquo;through an exhaustive layout from the establishment and history of the wine estate to the aspects that are most closely linked to the work and production. It is a new cognitive experience of our reality, and we invite you to experience it with us. In this book, Montalcino&rsquo;s winemakers open the doors of their homes and cellars to you, and welcome you into their families. They share the most important facets of their activities and other smaller, often intimate aspects, and speak of how novelties are handled on their estates. In a way, they make "Brunello lovers" become part of their lives&raquo;.</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The project commenced in 2011 when the Consortium started gathering the testimony of varied and numerous winemakers in the Montalcino area so as to also meet the requirements of the many Brunello enthusiasts.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The volume, printed in 4,000 copies, both in Italian and English, is specially meant for the wineries and their most loyal customers. &ldquo;Brunello lovers&rdquo; may contact one of the 200 and more Montalcino wine estates and grasp the opportunity to plan a trip and discover new, fascinating stories.</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 04 2013 17:41:02 W. Europe Daylight Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE WINEMAKERS OF THE CONSORTIUM OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO SHARE THE SORROW OF THE BIONDI SANTI FAMILY]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><i>&ldquo;One of the symbols of the quality and excellence of Italian wine worldwide has passed away. Beyond doubt, he was one of the most important advocates of the success of Brunello di Montalcino on an international level. It is owing to him that Brunello has become one of the most renowned and appreciated Italian wine brands. In losing him, the Consortium and the entire territory have not only lost a great winemaker, but also an outstanding man of deep sensitivity and humanity. We are indebted to him and feel certain that his example and expertise will be carried on by those who will succeed him in leading the wine estate&rdquo;. </i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fabrizio Bindocci, Chairman of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino Wine, thus remembers Franco Biondi Santi, 91 years of age, director of Tenuta Greppo di Montalcino since the 70&rsquo;s.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Silvio Franceschelli, Mayor of Montalcino, condoles with the Biondi Santi family and comments: &ldquo;<i>I am deeply saddened by the loss of a great man who gave so much to this territory. Thanks to him, Montalcino boasts a very high-profile image on an international level. We will always be grateful to him for having enriched the town of Montalcino</i>&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 1934, his grandfather Ferruccio Biondi Santi was acknowledged by the MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) as the &ldquo;inventor of Brunello&rdquo;. In 1994, Decanter awarded a score of 10/10 (perfection) to the 1891 vintage, a wine that was then 103 years old. In 1999, Wine Spectator listed the 1955 Reserve among the &ldquo;12 best wines produced worldwide in the 20<sup>th</sup> century&rdquo;.</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 04 2013 10:20:58 W. Europe Daylight Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[     THE TERRITORY IS A TREASURE TO BE VALUED NOT A HERITAGE  		              TO BE DENIGRATED OR EXPLITED]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><b>&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>The Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino considers the statements made by Gianfranco Soldera in the Corriere della Sera today, extremely detrimental to producers and to the territory in general, and would like to clarify its position with regard to these unfounded accusations in order to avoid further slander that damages Montalcino and the image of Brunello in the world.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To begin with the proposal by the President of the Consorzio to donate to Case Basse the &ldquo;wine of solidarity&rdquo; with a bottle and a label different to the normal one now deemed &ldquo;unacceptable and offensive, a fraud for the consumer&rdquo;, yet yesterday it was pronounced worthy of &ldquo;our heartfelt gratitude&rdquo;. The Consorzio emphasizes that it was meant as a symbolic gesture of solidarity since at the time, according to his own assertions, it was believed that his entire production had been wiped out by the act of vandalism and that with the income he would be able to make a donation to the kindergarten or to the old people&rsquo;s home. Now we find out that this is not the case (Soldera has announced that there are 7000 bottles per vintage), but the significance of this gesture of solidarity remains and we find it offensive that it should be seen as a fraud.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The reason for this is also that this act and all the inferences fomented by it are considerably damaging to the image of Brunello and its territory, while at the same time they continue to guarantee a media platform of visibility for the victim who keeps on making unfounded accusations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The same applies to the idea that has been formulated according to which the Consorzio does not want to carry out research since it decided to invest 150 000 &euro; engaging the biggest wine research centre in Italy, the Edmund Mach foundation in San Michele all&rsquo;Adige. The research was developed along three branches: the development of methods that look into the DNA; the study of the anthocyans to establish the varietal origin, and the research of stable isotopes that enable the tracing of the geographic origin of Brunello wine. After several in depth considerations Dr. Stella Grando, the head of genetics at the Istituto di San Michele all&rsquo;Adige, confirmed that the DNA method on which Soldera is so insistent, is not applicable since the results are not reproducible and can not be counted on for establishing the purity of a wine, as the combinations of DNA can not be accurately quantified. This prevents a dependable and widespread control of the whole production.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As for the &ldquo;multiplication of bread and fish and no territory&rdquo; we want to make it clear that in an area of 24,000 hectares, vineyards cover only 15%. Moreover it should be pointed out that since the year 2006 the Montalcino producers have of their own accord reduced the production per hectare of their Brunello, from 80 to 70 quintals and later from 70 to 60 quintals in 2011 in view of a further improvement in the quality.<b>&nbsp; </b></p>
<p><b>&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>We will not go into the fact that the reasons for the sentence and the motivation of the act of vandalism are not convincing but we reiterate that what emerged from the inquest clearly points to the absence of any connection between the act and the territory and according to the investigation the act was the result of a situation totally dependent on problems connected to the estate itself.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Most importantly we feel the need to repeat once more for the sake of clarity and the peace of mind of&nbsp; Gianfranco Soldera that, contrary to what he thinks, nobody in this territory and even less in the Consorzio has ever spoken of anything other than 100% Sangiovese, which is what the Rules require and what we all respect.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Since 1967 we have been following the compliance of the regulations, the controls and the research. Whoever talks of something else or of fraud without any proof, deeply offends the territory, the community and the producers, our common heritage that is Montalcino and its Brunello, with the sole aim of enhancing his own image by trampling on the territory and on the other producers.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We therefore welcome with pleasure the words of the Mayor of Montalcino Silvio Franceschelli, according to whom &ldquo;<i>at this time particularly we must value the territory and the entrepreneurial heritage that it expresses, a veritable excellence in the international panorama. If anyone uses the visibility offered by Brunello to enhance only himself at the expense of the territory, whoever he may be, should be condemned without hesitation&rdquo;.</i></p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 03 2013 18:23:28 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE CRUCIANI BRAND SIGNS THE COMMEMORATIVE TILE OF THE 2012 VINTAGE]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p align="center"><i>Awarding also of the Brunello Leccio d&rsquo;Oro 2013 prizes to the OSTERIA MOZZA of Los Angeles, too the ENOTECA CORTINA of Cortina D&rsquo;Ampezzo and to the OSTERIA</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>BRUNELLO of Milan</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 23<sup>rd</sup> February 2013 &ndash; </i>This morning during the Benvenuto Brunello, the traditional ceremony in the Montalcino piazza took place with the <b>commemorative tile of the 2012 vintage being affixed </b>and the awarding of the <b>Brunello Leccio d&rsquo;Oro 2013 prizes.</b></p>
<p><b>&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>Once again this year the tile was created by a griffe of Italian fashion: The choice was the Cruciani brand, of textile group Arnaldo Caprai, famous for its <b>Cruciani C macram&eacute; bracelets,</b> that has become a veritable &ldquo;must have&rdquo; in Italy and the world.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Umbrian company wanted to celebrate in this way the Italian territory and one of the highest qualitative expressions of the world panorama in wine production: <i>&ldquo;Cruciani and Brunello di Montalcino are linked by their love for territory, tradition and culture, together with an all-Italian savoir-faire</i> &ndash; declared <b>Luca Caprai, </b>owner of the Cruciani brand. <i>This is the distinctive mark of our products and the success that distinguishes them throughout the world. &lsquo;Made in Italy&rsquo; is in fact: quality, research, excellence and a will to produce the best possible and both Brunello di Montalcino and Cruciani are precisely this&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p>The design of the tile is of a sequence of vertical parallel bracelets of the typical four-leafed shape that distinguished by their colour, together form the image of a bunch of grapes. The design was conceived on a geometric mould recalling the meticulous &ldquo;scientific&rdquo; rigour needed to attain the perfection of high quality products, while the variety of colours that make up the bunch represent the richness of the Brunello contents: intensity, joy and unexpected fragrances, never taken for granted. A graphic mark both sinuous and harmonious on top of the bunch of grapes represents and completes the vine stalks, breaking the geometric scheme and reminding one of nature and its forms, harmony and creativity.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The valuable collaboration with the famous Umbrian brand does not end with the commemorative tile that will enrich &ndash; following tradition &ndash; the &ldquo;Brunello calendar&rdquo; affixed on the outer wall of the Palazzo Pubblico of Montalcino. For the 2013 edition of Benvenuto Brunello the group has created a special bracelet for the event, inspired by the wine and named <b>&ldquo;Montalcino in the heart&rdquo;</b>. The bracelet, made of macram&eacute; in pure Cruciani style, represents 6 small bunches of grapes at the centre of a heart. The bracelet was given to all the guests who took part in the event.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Cruciani brand was born in 1992 at the wish of Luca Caprai, with the intent of transmitting his own values and family culture through a message of excellence.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As for the <b>Brunello Leccio d&rsquo;Oro 2013 prizes</b>, awarded by the Consorzio to the places that have a Wine List with a wide representative range of Brunello and other Montalcino wines,</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>this year the winners were OSTERIA MOZZA of Los Angeles for the <i>restaurant </i>category, ENOTECA CORTINA of Cortina D&rsquo;Ampezzo for that of <i>wine shops</i> and OSTERIA BRUNELLO of Milan for the <i>bistro </i>category.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The <b>Osteria Mozza </b>of Los Angeles (<a href="http://www.osteriamozza.com/LA/home.cfm">www.osteriamozza.com/LA/home.cfm</a>) part of the Mozza Restaurant Group that has restaurants all over the world was created by Nancy Silverton, Joe Babbo of New York. At the centre of this refined elegant losangelino restaurant is the &ldquo;Mozzarella&rdquo; bar, in which a vast range of fresh products such as mozzarella, &lsquo;burrata&rsquo; and &lsquo;stracciatella&rsquo; are prepared and served daily.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The <b>Enoteca Cortina </b>(<span style="text-decoration: underline;">www.enotecacortina.com</span>) was born in Cortina d&rsquo;Ampezzo in 1965 and is managed by Rita and Gerolamo (Gerry) Gaspari. It offers a well cared for selection of the best Italian and foreign wines and has become in the years a mandatory stopping place for visitors to the area.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The <b>Osteria Brunello </b>(<a href="http://www.osteriabrunello.it/">www.osteriabrunello.it</a>) lies in the heart of the Milanese &lsquo;movida&rsquo; in the pedestrian area of Corso Garibaldi. The dishes offer the best traditional Tuscan cuisine, with a clear Sienese imprint together with a few Lombardy dishes such as &ldquo;guest of honour&rdquo;. The wine list is very widespread and offers a national panorama, with special attention to the great Tuscan reds and to the Brunellos.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The jury who selected the winners is composed as usual of the <b>President of the Consorzio </b>Fabrizio Bindocci, and of the members of the <b>Committee of the</b> <b>presidency </b>Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Marco Cortonesi, Giancarlo Pacenti and expert <b>Allan Bay</b>, renowned wine and food journalist and collaborator of the Corriere della Sera for which he writes the &ldquo;VIvi Milano&rdquo; column; food and wine expert and writer of books on food for the US market <b>Faith Willinger</b>, President of<b> </b>the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) <b>Antonio Maietta </b>and the President of the <i>Gruppo del Gusto </i>of the Foreign Press in Italy <b>Alfredo Tesio</b>.<b> </b></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 23 Feb 02 2013 13:11:43 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[BRUNELLO: A FIVE STAR HARVEST]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p align="center"><i>Last year&rsquo;s particularly unforeseeable climate did not affect the quality of the grapes</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>picked in Montalcino, with a 14% drop in quantity.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 23<sup>rd</sup> February 2013 &ndash; </i><b>With the traditional ceremony at the Teatro degli Astrusi, and a presentation by &oelig;nologist Vittorio Fiore,</b> member of the Board of Appeals for the DOC and DOCG wines of Central Italy at the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies, and professor at the Faculty of Agrarian Studies at the University of Pisa, <b>5 stars were awarded to the 2012 vintage </b>that will be put on the market only in 2017.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><i>&ldquo;The wines of the year 2012 &ndash; commented &oelig;nologist Fiore &ndash; have a <b>remarkable structure</b>, very high levels of polyphenols and an intensely marked colour. The deep-seated lands of Montalcino endowed with a good component of clay, allowed for the vegetation to be well managed and the necessary balance kept up in a very dry hot year. The quality of the 2012 wines will be of a very high level with ideal characteristics for a long aging required by Brunello&rdquo;</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p>From the punt of view of the harvest, the beginning of the vegetative phase developed with a slight delay during the second part of the month of April, probably due to the cold winter. The flowering and the fruit set stage also took place late during the first part of June. The veraison took place during a fairly long lapse of time, between the second half of July and the first ten days of August while the ripening happened slightly early. The grape picking started on the 17<sup>th</sup> of September and ended on the 10<sup>th</sup> of October and was carried out in ideal conditions.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite the very unstable weather conditions, with an extremely cold and snowy winter and a very hot dry summer to begin with and a rainy end of the season, the level of acidity of the grapes was good, well over the regulation limits, and the quality of the wines will be very high, with ideal characteristics for the long aging required for Brunello.</p>
<p>As for the quantity, the decrease compared to 2011 is around 14%, making this harvest the lowest in quantity in the last 10 years.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>With regard to Moscadello, the grapes were picked at the right stage of dryness and with an excellent sugar content, an essential element for this sweet dessert wine. Because of the year, the Muscat grapes &ndash; notoriously delicate &ndash; were able to ripen well and without problems that often occur in rainy years.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For Sant&rsquo;Antimo too the 2012 harvest was excellent, with concentrated wines and a good aging potential. For this DOC, the regulations provide the possibility of using both red and white grape vines. The white grapes were picked very early at the beginning of September, with a good maturity and balance. The early ripening red grapes were picked during the first ten days of September.</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 23 Feb 02 2013 13:08:28 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO EVER MORE INTERNATIONAL]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The 2013 edition of Benvenuto Brunello opens today</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Presentation of the vintages just launched on the market and of the harvest just picked.</p>
<p><b>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</b><i>2008 is confirmed a great vintage as announced by the 4 stars of five years ago.</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>President Bindocci; &ldquo;We sell the world over because Brunello is a unique wine, immediately recognizable&rdquo; as opposed to other markets, this great Tuscan red wine knows no recession, particularly abroad and its export pulls along the economy of the territory. USA continues at the head of the list of foreign countries for exports with the number of bottles sold doubling in the last 5 years.</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 22<sup>nd</sup> February 2013 &ndash; </i>A wine that knows no recession, above all abroad, the one that is being presented today at the <b>Benvenuto Brunello, </b>the event that every year in the Cloisters of the Montalcino Museum, unites the producers who present the vintage just launched on the market (Brunello 2008, Riserva 2007, Rosso 2011, Moscadello and Sant&rsquo;Antimo) and the vintage that has just been harvested (2012), that will receive tomorrow the stars indicating its quality.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The 2008 harvest took place in optimal conditions and the wines showed a good acidity, with soft structures and not too aggressive tannins. <i>&ldquo;The result &ndash;</i> declared President of the Consorzio, Fabrizio Bindocci &ndash; <i>are wines fascinating for their aromatic intensity and for their softer characteristics. A balanced and pleasant Brunello, that can be enjoyed straightaway and that fully deserves the four stars that had been assigned to it five years ago&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>&ldquo;With regard to the 2012 harvest - </i>continues Bindocci &ndash; <b><i>the strength of the territory, the experience and skill of the producers transformed a potentially critical and difficult period in a year that we reckon will give great satisfaction on a national and international level</i></b><i>&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p>The <b>Rosso 2011</b> presented in this edition of Benvenuto Brunello, has characteristics that are expressed with great structure, intense fruit and are very warm and pleasing. <i>&ldquo;The Consorzio producers are ever more committed to the production of this wine, that is <b>conquering its own identity</b>, becoming a valid product in a section of the market in which the quality/price ratio is important</i>&rdquo;, explained President Bindocci<i>. </i></p>
<p><b>&nbsp;</b></p>
<p>With regard to production, the numbers of Brunello and Rosso are stable compared to 2011, with respectively <b>9,200,000 and 4,500,000 bottles produced</b>. A slight increase for Moscadello (40,000 bottles in 2012 against 30,000 in 2011) and for Sant&rsquo;Antimo (360,000 in 2012 compared to 340,000 in 2011).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Excellent also the trend on the <b>foreign market: </b>since 2007, when it was at 60%, the export quota has increased progressively, having reached today 65% of the total production. This increase is particularly significant if it is analysed in absolute terms: in 2007 the bottles of Brunello produced were around 6,000,000 of which 3,600,000 were exported, while today the export involves around 5,800,000 bottles (65% of the 9 million bottles produced). In just 5 years, therefore, the export has increased by over 2 million bottles.</p>
<p>The <b>US continue to be a point of reference </b>and<b> the first foreign market</b>, <b>representing 25% of the total production</b> <b>and </b>therefore<b> practically doubling the sales of 5 years ago</b>. There</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>are therefore around 2,250,000 bottles that have left Montalcino for the United States. This market is has still a great potential since the pro-capita consumption is only 10 litres a year (whereas in Italy the 2011 average pro-capita was of 37.9 litres. According to the latest estimates of Vinexpo and Iswr (International Wine &amp; Spirits Research), from now until 2016 the US market will register an increase in consumption (+12,6%), reaching over 3,360 billion litres. Again, according to this research, during the next years, high-level wine sales (those that cost above 10 dollars a bottle) will be increasing by 30%.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A slight increase in the amount of wine sold directly in the wineries or consumed in the Montalcino restaurants and bars or bought in the Montalcino wine shops. This amount is of around 18%.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Significant also is the data of the <b>turnover </b>of the producing estates that has increased compared to 2011: 167,000,000 euros in 2012 against the 163,000,000 of 2011. The other wine tourism sectors of Montalcino (restaurants, hotels, wine shops, etc.)&nbsp; closed the year 2012 in a positive way: 29,700,000 euros against 27,500,000 of the previous year (+8%).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><i>&ldquo;For the Brunello producers - </i>concluded Fabrizio Bindocci &ndash; <i>to be successful on international markets is linked mainly to two reasons: investing in markets with a high spending potential and proposing a recognizable product, both for its high qualitative value and for the uniqueness of the supply&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p>But it is not just Brunello&nbsp; going abroad: after the &ldquo;boom&rdquo; of the &lsquo;80s, that brought overseas investors such as the brothers John and Harry Mariani and the creation of Castello Banfi, the last years saw a new impulse of &ldquo;imports&rdquo; of capital coming from abroad. A case in question is that of the Argiano estate, bought just a few weeks ago by Brazilians, or that of Richard Parsons, ex president of Citi and Time Warner, currently part of the bipartisan commission on US&nbsp; presidential debates, who purchased the estate of &ldquo;Il Palazzone&rdquo; in 2000, or that of Swiss industrialist Ernesto Bertarelli, winner of the America&rsquo;s Cup in 2003 and in 2007 with the yacht Alinghi, who acquired the Poggio di Sotto estate in 2011. As well as for foreigners, Montalcino is also an attraction for great Italian investors: an example being that of Riccardo Illy, ex governor of Friuli Venezia Giulia and president of the Gruppo Illy, who took over the Mastrojanni Estate in 2008.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The opening taking place today in Montalcino is that of a Benvenuto Brunello in excellent shape, that looks to foreign markets for the affirmation of its success and to export the quality of the &lsquo;Made in Italy: throughout the world.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Today&rsquo;s program will start with the tastings of the 3 vintages of Brunello 2008, Riserva 2007 and Rosso 2011 at 9.30 in the Cloisters of the Museum. Tomorrow, apart from the tastings, the appointment is at 11.00 at the Teatro degli Astrusi for the <b>assignation of the stars to the 2012 vintage, </b>the placing of <b>the commemorative tile of 2012</b>, affixed, following the tradition, on the outer wall of the Palazzo Pubblico of Montalcino, and the awarding of the <b>Brunello Leccio d&rsquo;Oro 2013</b> prizes, as every year by the Consorzio to the places, in Italy and abroad, who have a Wine List with a wide range wines representative of Brunello and the other Montalcino wines.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 02 2013 10:19:57 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[MONTALCINO MOURNS THE LOSS OF LUCIO MASTROBERARDINO]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino and all its producers mourn the loss of Lucio&nbsp; Mastrobernardino and join the grief of his&nbsp; family and colleagues.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The sad news left us dismayed &ndash; stated President Fabrizio Bindocci. We do not only lose a great leader of Italian enology but also a great young and enthusiastic ambassador of quality wines. I highly regarded the work of Lucio and his passionate commitment to value and promote Italian wines all over the world&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Mastrobernardino was the President of Unione Italiana Vini (Group Italian Union Wine) and producer of the winery Terradora, among the most important for the success of varieties from Campania all over the world, including Greco di Tufo ,&nbsp; Fiano di Avellino along with Aglianico. He was also director &nbsp;of the Consorzio dei Vini Irpini.</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 01 2013 11:13:20 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[COMMENTS OF THE MAYOR OF MONTALCINO AND OF THE  CONSORZIO DEL BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ON THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DAMAGE INCURRED BY                                THE ‘CASE BASSE’ ESTATE ]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Regarding the investigation of the vandalism that struck Gianfranco Soldera and his Case Basse estate, the Mayor of Montalcino Silvio Franceschelli and the President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino Fabrizio Bindocci &ndash; speaking for the whole Board of the Consorzio &ndash; both underlined that &ldquo;to date the evidence gathered by the law enforcement agencies confirm what had already been expressed by the Consorzio and the officials of the Montalcino community: that it was a vile ignoble act totally foreign to the culture and values of the Montalcino territory which in turn became an indirect victim since by striking one of its excellent and best known products it affected the whole system of our producers&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Which leads me &ndash; continues Bindocci &ndash; to emphasize our disapproval of those who, for whatever reason, in a conscious arbitrary fashion, try to put these happenings down to a hypothesis of crime or vendetta between producers, knowingly damaging the image of Montalcino and, by the same token, one of the most prestigious &lsquo;Made in Italy&rsquo; products worldwide&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the eyes of the Mayor Franceschelli and President Bindocci &ldquo;this does obviously not diminish the gravity of the incident that, leaving aside all imaginative instrumental interpretations which will be contested in the right places, it remains an unacceptable act that has harshly hit a well known and esteemed producer such as Gianfranco Soldera, to whom we confirm the solidarity of our producers, a solidarity that has always represented a great value of this territory&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
&ldquo;Finally we want to thank the law enforcement agents &ndash; they concluded - for the speed and competence with which they carried out their investigation, thereby dissipating and tendentious readings of the facts and bringing back serenity to the territory that they have always taken care of most efficiently&rdquo;.]]></description>
			<!--<pubDate>Wed, 5 Oct 2011 17:54:59 +0200</pubDate>-->
			<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 12 2012 13:07:04 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE EXTRAORDINARY COUNCIL OF THE CONSORTIUM OF BRUNELLO OF MONTALCINO REITERATES ITS CONDEMNATION AND RESOLVES TO TAKE CONCRETE ACTION TO SUPPORT THE COMPANY]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<i>Montalcino, December, 07-2012</i> - At its meeting this morning to  discuss the affair concerning the Case Basse company, the extraordinary  council of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino wished to restate in  the strongest possible terms its condemnation of the act of vandalism  suffered by the company and to reaffirm the solidarity of all producers  and of the entire region. President Fabrizio Bindocci had expressed this  solidarity in the immediate aftermath and right from the start has  demonstrated a heartfelt moral support which was reaffirmed in a meeting  with the producer, during which the President proposed concrete steps  to be taken. The council resolved to promote a collection of wine among  its members to donate to the Case Basse company. The mayor of  Montalcino, Silvio Franceschelli, also attended the extraordinary  council meeting, testimony to the fact that the severity of this episode  has affected not just one company, but the entire system of Montalcino  which has suffered a serious and intolerable blow. The President and the  mayor wished to emphasize that this is a dynamic and industrious region  and the solidarity between the producers, which has always been a great  value, is absolute. While awaiting for the investigations to shed some  light on what happened, the Consortium is available to provide the  company Case Basse with any support it may need.]]></description>
			<!--<pubDate>Wed, 5 Oct 2011 17:54:59 +0200</pubDate>-->
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 12 2012 13:18:04 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE CONSORTIUM OF BRUNELLO CONDEMNS THE ACT OF VANDALISM AGAINST GIANFRANCO SOLDERA AND HIS COMPANY CASE BASSE]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The President of the Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, Fabrizio Bindocci, would like to demonstrate his solidarity with Gianfranco Soldera in condemning this act that has affected all the producers of Brunello and the entire region of Montalcino and would also like to express the solidarity of all the 250 member companies of the Consortium who feel directly affected by such a shameful episode. "As per tradition, the community of Montalcino businesses will not leave this company alone to suffer such a harsh and cowardly act, but will support it in a way and at a time our friend Soldera considers most appropriate. I reiterate the solidarity of the entire Consortium and I concur with the views expressed by the Mayor of Montalcino, Silvio Franceschelli, concerning this despicable and cowardly act in urging against reading too much into the incident or instrumentalizing the affair in order to respect the image that a region like Montalcino has in the world, a quiet place where criminality is rare and a far cry from the spirit of honesty that characterizes both old and new inhabitants. This act of vandalism against Soldera does not change this image even though it should not be underestimated."</p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 12 2012 15:27:31 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE CHINA AWARDS PRIZE GOES TO THE CONSORZIO DEL BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The prize comes just one week after the one awarded by the</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Foreign Press Association in Italy</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 30<sup>th</sup> November 2012 &ndash; </i><b>The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino has been invested with the award &ldquo;Eccellenza Italia&rdquo;</b>, assigned on the occasion of the <b>China Awards </b>to the enterprises of our country that represent cases of excellence on the Chinese market. The announcement was made yesterday evening at the Palazzo Clerici in Milan on the occasion of the prize-giving organized by the Fondazione Italia Cina and MF / Milano Finanza, promoters of the prize, that dedicate this award every year to Italian and Chinese enterprises.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<i>&ldquo;It is a prize that underlines the commitment of producers in the Montalcino territory. </i><i>Since 2005 the Consorzio has travelled regularly to China to explore the potential and find opportunities for investing &ndash; </i>commented the <b>President of the Consorzio Fabrizio Bindocci </b>&ndash;<i> in fact the Chinese market represents an important point of reference and during the last year there has been a considerable growth trend. Currently it represents 0.7% of the total production, to which should be added the 0.4% of Hong Kong. Together these two markets account for around 100,000 bottles of Brunello per year. These quantities are modest, but compared to only 3 or 4 years ago they have doubled. We reckon that because of their quality our wines suit this market well and this prize confirms that we are on the right path&rdquo;.</i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i>The jury that selects the businesses every year as well as the corporate bodies to whom the prizes should be awarded, is chaired by <b>Cesare Romiti </b>President of Fondazione Italia Cina and <b>Paolo Panerai</b>, Vice-president and Managing Director Class Publisher and is composed among others of <b>Franco Cutrupla</b>, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, <b>Attilio Massimo Iannucci</b>, Ambassador of Italy in Beijing and <b>Mario Zanone Poma</b>, President of the Italo-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Vice-president of the &lsquo;Fondazone Italia Cina&rsquo;.</p>
<p>The China Awards Prize comes just one week after another international award, assigned by the &ldquo;<b>Gruppo del Gusto</b>&rdquo; of the Foreign Press Association in Italy: on the 22<sup>nd</sup> of November in Rome the Consorzio del Brunello was invested with the prize as &ldquo;Institution in defence of Italian agro-alimentary values&rdquo;. <i></i></p>]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 11 2012 14:52:22 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[THE “VINIBUONI D’ITALIA 2013 GUIDE AWARDS THE CROWNS TO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO  ]]></title>
			<description><![CDATA[<p align="center"><i>On Saturday 1rst December in Montalcino</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>the 2013 edition will be presented of&nbsp; ViniBuoni d&rsquo;Italia, the only guide devoted to autochthonous vines&nbsp; . On this occasion diplomas of merit will be awarded to the Tuscan estates that obtained the Golden Star.</i></p>
<p align="center"><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p align="center">&nbsp;</p>
<p><i>Montalcino, 23rd November 2012 &ndash;</i><b> Once again </b>Brunello di Montalcino obtains great success among the Italian wine guides. The la test to reward Montalcino&rsquo;s renowned red wine is the &ldquo;<b>ViniBuoni d&rsquo;Italia 2013</b>&rdquo;, guide, the only one in the national and international panorama dedicated exclusively to autochthonous wines and vines, that is wines produced 100% in Italy for over 300.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>The guide that will be presented on Saturday 1rst December at 10.30 am at the Teatro degli Astrusi in Montalcino</b> has assigned many awards to Montalcino labels, both of Brunello and of Rosso, divided into 3 categories: <i>Crowns, Golden Star and Wines not to be misses. </i>&nbsp;Tuscany came out among the top recipients of rewards together with the Piedmont with <b>34</b> crowns.</p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i>&ldquo;We are honoured by the desire of the curators to come to Montalcino again this years to present the guide - </i>commented the Consorzio President Fabio Bindocci. <i>&nbsp;Even though our wine has a history that is &ldquo;only&rdquo; a 150 years old, The values of authenticity and strong tradition for which this guide is a mouthpiece, incarnate perfectly the spirit that has always driver our producers&rdquo;. </i></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;</i></p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">CORONE </span></i></p>
<p>Biondi Santi Franco -Tenuta Greppo - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva Tenuta Greppo 2006</p>
<p>Cerbaiona - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Col d'Orcia - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva Poggio al Vento 2004</p>
<p>Le Macioche - Palazzina - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva 2006</p>
<p>Le Ragnaie - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Ragnaie V.V. 2007</p>
<p>Pietroso - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Poggio di Sotto - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Poggio di Sotto - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva 2006</p>
<p>Poggio di Sotto - Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2009</p>
<p>Salvioni - La Cerbaiola - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Sesti - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva Phenomena 2006</p>
<p>Siro Pacenti - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva PS 2006</p>
<p>Tenuta Le Potazzine - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Tiezzi - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Vigna Soccorso 2007</p>
<p>Val di Suga - Tenimenti Angelini - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Vigna Spuntali 2006</p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">GOLDEN STAR</span></i></p>
<p>Biondi Santi Franco -Tenuta Greppo - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Tenuta Greppo 2007</p>
<p>Cerbaiona - Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2009</p>
<p>Gianni Brunelli -Le Chiuse di Sotto - Brunello di Montalcino Docg 2007</p>
<p>Il Marroneto - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Selezione Madonna delle Grazie 2007</p>
<p>Le Chiuse - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva 2006</p>
<p>Lisini - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Ugolaia 2006</p>
<p>Mastrojanni - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Vigna Schiena d'Asino 2007</p>
<p>Siro Pacenti - Rosso di Montalcino Doc 2010</p>
<p>Tenuta Il Poggione - Brunello di Montalcino Docg Riserva Vigna Paganelli 2006</p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">&nbsp;</span></i></p>
<p><i><span style="text-decoration: underline;">VINI DA NON PERDERE</span></i></p>
<p>Celestino Pecci</p>
<p>Col di Lamo</p>
<p>Coldisole</p>
<p>Fornacina</p>
<p>Il Poggiolo - Rodolfo Cosimi</p>
<p>La Magia</p>
<p>La Mannella</p>
<p>La Palazzetta</p>
<p>Pian delle Querci</p>
<p>Podere Paganico</p>
<p>Tenuta San Giorgio</p>
<p>Terralsole</p>
<p>Vasco Sassetti</p>
<p>Ventolaio</p>]]></description>
			<!--<pubDate>Wed, 5 Oct 2011 17:54:59 +0200</pubDate>-->
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Nov 11 2012 13:29:56 W. Europe Standard Time</pubDate>
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