Dear,
We are pleased to share with you our March monthly newsletter. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.
A look at our history
Few know that Franciacorta’s wine making history dates all the way back to the sixteenth century producing greater quantities than locals needed and thus demonstrating that there were already commercial interests at work. A later study of the Napoleonic Cadastral records of 1809 certifies the existence of nearly 1,000 hectares of vineyards: considerably more than were needed for local consumption by the 40,000 inhabitants. However, the first official recognition dates to 1967, when, by Presidential Decree, the Franciacorta area was awarded the status, Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC).
Franciacorta’s Grape Varieties
Franciacorta wines are made from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Noir) and Pinot Bianco (Blanc) grapes, with the latter permitted up to a maximum of 50%. Franciacorta vineyards yield a maximum of 10 tons of grapes per hectare. The bunches are carefully laid in hampers and brought to the winery, where the grapes picked in each vineyard are processed separately: the grapes are pressed very gently, to favour the extraction of the best quality juice, which is indispensable to the quality of the base wines.
Did you know?
In the last 50 years Franciacorta has gone from producing 3,000 bottles to over 14 million bottles per year.
La Strada del Franciacorta
The villages, wine cellars and wineries involved in oeno-tourism in Franciacorta have formed an association, in this case called La Strada del Franciacorta (The Franciacorta Road). Today’s borders of Franciacorta remain the same as they were when the area was a county ruled by the Visconti. The area is currently divided into 19 municipalities, all within the province of Brescia.
Gastronomy in Franciacorta
Offering modern interpretations of traditional fare - a blend of country meat dishes from the interior and fish specialties from the villages fringing Lake Iseo. The traditional dried sardine-like fish of Lake Iseo noted by Slow Food are caught by fishermen at sunset in small boats known as ‘sardenere’. After they are caught, the fish are immediately gutted and scaled and salted for at least 48 hours, after which they dry on wooden racks in a shady, well-ventilated place for up-to 40 days. Then the ‘sardines’ are packed and pressed in stainless steel containers for four days before being covered in oil. They remain in these containers for at least four months, after which they are cleaned and left to mature in smaller containers for a further year.
Try for yourself!
