Consorzio del Vino
Brunello di Montalcino®

THE TILE OF THE 2014 GRAPE HARVEST DESIGNED BY CARLO PETRINI

 

21/02/2015

Land, wisdom and future: Carlo Petrini’s message at Benvenuto Brunello

 

Brunello Leccio d’Oro 2015 awards were also assigned to a voce COLUMBUS in New York, DIVINO ENOTECA in Edinburgh and CANTINE ISOLA in Milan

 

Montalcino, 21 February 2015Land, wisdom and future: this is, in short, the message launched today in Montalcino by Carlo Petrini, who designed the celebratory tile of the 2014 grape harvest. Petrini, founder of Slow Food and the only Italian to have been included by the British newspaper The Guardian among the 50 people who “could save the planet”, has declared: «The history of Slow Food and of its forerunner, Arcigola, is closely linked to the village of Montalcino. It’s always nice to return, also because, every time, it is amazing to see how the exponential growth of the appellation has not spoilt the farming landscape, which continues to be among the most beautiful and well cared for in our country. The commercial success of this red wine has contributed to achieving a balance and a harmony which are hard to find in other country areas. The use by many winegrowers of sustainable, organic and biodynamic production methods should also be a source of pride for all the people of Montalcino. The remarkable thing – continues Petrini – is that here work continues on the preservation of woods, dirt roads and some pastures and seed crops. The quality of the wines is constantly rising and the rethink that took place in the middle of the first decade of this century has been really beneficial to the appellation. The wines have gained in terms of territoriality and proximity to the grape variety of origin, that Sangiovese Grosso which proves, here in Montalcino, to be one of the most noble grape varieties at world level».

 

As regards the idea behind the design of the tile, Petrini explained that «wine, poetry of the land and testimony to an entire culture, brings men together, mitigates disagreements and warms the atmosphere of a convivial get-together, also leaving its mark on the tablecloth as a reminder of the happy time spent around the table. This is the idea behind the design of my tile. A symbol of conviviality, the leading value of farming tradition and lynchpin of the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next».

 

This morning the Leccio d’Oro 2015 awards were assigned by the Consortium to the venues that have a wine list with a wide and representative range of Brunello and other wines from Montalcino. This year, the acknowledgement went to A VOCE COLUMBUS in New York for the restaurant category, to DIVINO ENOTECA in Edinburgh for the osteria category and to CANTINE ISOLA in Milan for the wine store category.

 

Since it opened in 2009, A Voce Columbus (http://www.avocerestaurant.com/columbus/), has been acclaimed by critics, so much so that, in 2011, it was awarded a Michelin Star. The restaurant is guided by the skilled hands of chef Riccardo Bilotta, while the cellar, filled with over 8,000 bottles, among which over 800 wines from Italy, is managed by wine director Oliver Flosse, who has enabled the restaurant to achieve the Grand Award of Wine Spectator.

 

There is not a “warmer” venue in Edinburgh than Divino Enoteca (http://divinoedinburgh.com/), a place which surprises diners with the cordiality of its staff, authentic Italian cuisine, excellent service and, above all, the richest, most varied wine cellar in the city, with over 300 bottled wines representing the best labels of the various Italian regions, and more.

 

The origins of Cantine Isole are very old, dating back to 1896. The Sarais family, who manage the venue today, arrived almost a century later, in 1991. Here Luca, the owner, learned his trade, getting to know winemakers and wines, bringing the wine store to the level it is at today, one of the best places to enjoy a glass of wine at the bar.

 

The jury that chose the venues was made up, as usual, by the Chairman of the Consortium, Fabrizio Bindocci, and by the members of the Executive Committee, Patrizio Cencioni, Bernardo Losappio and Francesco Ripaccioli, and experts Allan Bay, illustrious food and wine journalist and writer of the “Vivi Milano” column for the newspaper Corriere della Sera; Faith Willinger, food and wine specialist and author of food books for the US market, Antonello Maietta, Chairman of the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS), and Alfredo Tesio, Chairman of Gruppo del Gusto of the Foreign Press in Italy.