Donatella Cinelli Colombini is descended from one of the historic families of Brunello di Montalcino. She was born in Siena in 1953, where she earned a degree in art history with highest honors.
She was the first to recognize the tourism potential of wine regions, and in 1993, she created “Cantine aperte,” an event that, within just a few years, made wine tourism a success in Italy. Today, she teaches wine tourism in graduate-level programs.
In 1998, she left the family business to start her own, consisting of Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, where she produces Brunello, and Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda, which features a Chianti winery and a farmstay. Hers are the first wineries in Italy with an all-female staff.
In 2003, Donatella won the Oscar for Best Italian Producer and published *The Wine Tourism Handbook*. In 2007, her second book, *Wine Tourism Marketing*, was released, followed in 2016 by *Marketing Open Wineries*. These were followed by collaborative works : *Wine Tourism in Italy* (2020), *A Journey Through Italy’s Wine Country* (2022), and *Wine Tourism 4.0* (2023).
From 2001 to 2011, she served as the Councilor for Tourism for the City of Siena, and during this time she conceived “urban trekking,” a new form of sustainable and healthy tourism. From 2013 to 2022, she chaired the Orcia DOC Consortium, promoting it as “the most beautiful wine in the world” and a liquid postcard of her region.
In 2012, she was awarded the “Vinitaly International Award,” and in 2014, she was named a Knight of the Italian Republic. From 2016 to 2022, she served as national president of Donne del Vino, and she now leads the association’s Tuscan delegation. In 2024, she was awarded the Masi Prize.
