All in one Franciacorta Day: Four sessions and a winery visit

This fall my Spaswinefood adventures took me to Brescia, Italy for the European Wine Bloggers Conference. Historical Brescia is located in Northern Italy's Lombardy wine region, which is best known for its Franciacorta sparkling wines, with its reds and whites under the label of terre di Franciacorta. Francicorta is Lombardy's sparkling wine, with DOCG status. David Bleeden provides an excellent profile of the Franciacorta wine region. The DiWINETaste article on "Wine Culture and Information" provides a good historical background on Franciacorta wines. Before visiting the Franciacorta wine region I came across a Celebrity TV Wine Review by Iron Chevsky who highly praised Franciacorta. When I arrived in Brescia I was ready to check out Franciacorta wines. 


Day One at the European Wine Bloggers Conference 2011 was a very busy day. I know I attended at least four sessions that day, concluding with a winery visit to Villa Franciacorta in the evening. I will share a few highlights from two sparkling wine sessions and the Villa Franciacorta visit.


The Sessions

The the first session was a session on sparkling wines. 

Tasting glasses are ready for the Sparkling Wines Session © Spaswinefood

At this session we got to taste the following:

1. Ridgeview Cavendish 2009 (Sussex, England)
2. Denbies Cubbitt Reserve 2006 (Surrey, England)
3. Chateau Frank New York 2006 Blanc de Blancs (USA)
4. Lenz Winery New York 2005 Cuvee (USA)
5. Majolini Franciacorta Brut Electo, Millesimato 2005 Brut (Italy)
6. Raventos i Blanc Extra Brut Gran Reserva de la Finca 2006 (Spain)
7. Cava Recaredo Pas Dosé Reserva Particular 2002 (Spain)
8. Il Mosnel Franciacorta Pas Dosé Riserva "QdE" 2004 (Italy)
9. Tarlant Extra Brut Cuvee Louis NV (France)
10. Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rare 1988 (France)

See Caroline Henry, Prateek Arora, and WineTalkGroup's notes on these wines. Evan Dawson also highlights the US wines. To add any notes to those already published would be redundant. However, I can say I tasted some good wines and that I loved the Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rare 1988 (France).

Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rare 1988 (France) I think I need a case © Spaswinefood

Later in the day, I got to taste Franciacorta's sparkling wines. There were 30 Franciacorta producers at the session. 

Rows of glasses for the Franciacorta Tasting © Spaswinefood

It was impossible for me to taste three samples from 30 producers at the Franciacorta tasting. Here are a few o f the Franciacorta's that I did taste:


A Monte Rossa Prima Cuvée

Monte Rossa © Spaswinefood

Monte Rossa Prima Cuvée © Spaswinefood

A Bersi Serlini Fraciacorta Brut

Bersi Serlini © Spaswinefood

Bersi Serlini Franciacorta Brut © Spaswinefood

Hopefully by now, you can tell my first day is going well.

Villa Franciacorta
At the end of day one we were asked to board one of four buses to be taken to a mystery location for dinner. This article will highlight the Franciacorta winery that was visited by those who happen to travel on the same bus with me. Our bus took us to Villa Franciacorta. At Villa we were welcomed with Franciacorta, appetizers and given a tour of the cellar. 

The glasses are ready at Villa Franciacorta © Spaswinefood

So are the Franciacortas nicely chilled © Spaswinefood

A Tenute La Montina at the front © Spaswinefood

Which one would you like to taste? © Spaswinefood

Now it is time for this wine blogger to capture a few more photos. Here is Jason Turner, Falstaff wine writer getting a glass of Franciacorta.

Jason Turner, Flastaff front with Anders Aberg, Languedoc winery owner in the background © Spaswinefood

I guess I am not the only one getting photos here. While I got my i-phone shots Luis A.G. Alberto from the  TheWinehub was getting awesome shots of the Franciacortas.

Franciacorta take one © Spaswinefood

Franciacorta take two © Spaswinefood

I did manage to i- photo the appetizers as well.

Apertivo di benvenuto © Spaswinefood

The highlight of the evening was the dining experience. At the dinner we got to set with one of the Franciacorta producers. In my case I also got to set with wine bloggers that I was meeting for the first time. We got to sample a variety of Tenute La Montina Franciacortas, paired with different dishes over dinner. I will now share my dining experience that evening at Ristorante Antica Cascina San Zago, Villa Franciacorta.

Ristorante Antica Cascina San Zago © Spaswinefood

Ensalada © Spaswinefood

Primo piatto (First Plate)

 Cocoa Tagliatelle (Chocolate Pasta) © Spaswinefood

Tenute La Montina Franciacorta Rosé © Spaswinefood

Secondo piatto (Second Plate)

A Second Pasta for me © Spaswinefood

Tenute La Montina Franciacorta Satén © Spaswinefood

The second course for the non-vegetarians was Hambugher di spigola in brodo di carciofi e calamaretti e cavolo rosso fritto (Bass Hamburger with artichokes and squid with fried red cabbage).


Dinner concluded with dessert and Tenute La Montina Franciacorta Rosé Demi Sec.

Peaches cooked with Franciacorta Rosé at low temperature, with olive oil ice cream and cream gratin © Spaswinefood

Tenute La Montina Franciacorta Rosé Demi Sec © Spaswinefood

I like mysteries, certainly ones that lead to new friendships and discovering new wines. The Franciacorta  producers at my table were from Tenute La Montina Franciacorta Winery. Tenute La Montina provided the dinner wines.

Representatives from Tenute La Montina Franciacorta © Spaswinefood

Maria Grazia Melegari, Soavemente Wine Blog © Spaswinefood

Ingrid Salamon, Tour du Vin Wine Blog and . . . . © Spaswinefood

It was definitely a great Franciacorta Day. A day that began with a Sparkling Wine Tasting at 9 a.m., an afternoon session with 30 Franciacorta producers and concluded with dinner at a mystery location. I must admit I felt like Hugh Grant in the Movie Four Weddings and a Funeral, by the end of the day. It was great to be a part of Franciacorta's 50th Anniversary. Mmh, mmh it was a great Franciacorta Day!

Sharon

October 2011

Brescia, Italy

© Spaswinefood

See other Spaswinefood posts on Italy:

1. An Italian Wine Adventure Begins

2. Discovering The Best of Milan (Milano), Italy

3. Food And Wine Adventures In Napoli, Italy

4. Venice In October

5. A Few Wine and Food Moments in Rome (Roma), Italy

See also Examiner articles:

1. Fall colors, grape harvest and great wines make Italy the perfect dream vacation

2. Full moon over Venice: A time for wine, food and masks