Donatella Cinelli Colombini

Coming Up

Wine production sits at the center of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s work, with public roles built around it rather than apart from it. Born in Tuscany, Italy, she came into the trade through the family business and spent 14 years there before founding Fattoria del Colle and Casato Prime Donne in Trequanda and Montalcino. Those estates became tied to her name because they translated experience into place. "First of all, I’m a producer." Leadership in wine has come through institutions as much as through land. At Siena Town Hall in Siena, Donatella Cinelli Colombini served as Tourism Councillor (2001–2011), a post that linked hospitality with local identity and put wine into conversation with the wider life of the city. From 2013, she expanded that work as National Vice President at Donne del Vino, moving from local administration into a broader professional network. Her institutional roles continued in the same register: president at Consortium of Orcia Wines (2013–2022) and National President at Donne del Vino Association (2016–2022). In each case, the work pointed back to territory, organization, and the visibility of women in wine. She is also founder of Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle (since 1998) and leader of Tuscan delegation of Donne del Vino Association.

Where They Are Now

Casato Prime Donne and Fattoria del Colle have been part of Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s work since 1998, and they remain the clearest expression of how she understands wine: as production, planning, and the ability to shape what already exists into a functioning estate. "I believe that each of us has talents within us." In that sense, the estates are not just holdings; they are the practical result of applying judgment to land and timing. Another line from Donatella Cinelli Colombini points to the same method: "I see opportunities, paths that others do not see, I do not invent anything." The emphasis is on recognition rather than invention. Her career has moved through family business, estate founding, city office, and association leadership by treating wine, place, and women’s representation as connected parts of the same field.

Signature

Donatella's signature dishes include Brunello di Montalcino, Orcia DOC, and Cantine Aperte. The list speaks to her world with economy and precision: Brunello di Montalcino and Orcia DOC signal the enduring language of place, while Cantine Aperte evokes the openness and hospitality that have long been part of her public presence. Together, they sketch a profile rooted in Tuscan wine culture, but animated by a broader belief in access, recognition, and the power of making things visible.

In Their Words “I see opportunities, paths that others do not see, I do not invent anything.” “First of all, I’m a producer.”