Thursday, July 31, 2025

Franciacorta: Italy’s Finest Sparkling Secret

While traveling through Italy last month, Prosecco was everywhere - by the glass or as a spritz - and usually the sparkling wine of choice for our family. Yet I had to make sure we had a decent amount of Franciacorta available to sip and this was normally through grocery store purchases. I would easily label Franciacorta the best of Italian sparkling wine and readily compare favorably to any other international effervescent wine. This Duca Diseo Brut Franciacorta is made in Lombardy by Cantina Chiara Ziliani. It is composed of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir grapes harvested in the vineyards of Provaglio d’Iseo, village in the heart of the Franciacorta DOCG region. It ages 18 months on its own yeasts providing a pleasant bready backbone layered with white peaches and pears. Continual bubbles...

What Is Franciacorta?

Franciacorta is a high-quality, traditional-method sparkling wine made in the province of Brescia, near Lake Iseo. Unlike Italy’s more widely known sparkling wine, Prosecco (which is made using the tank method), Franciacorta is produced using the metodo classico — the same labor-intensive process used in Champagne. This involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle, creating the elegant bubbles and rich, yeasty notes that define the world’s best sparkling wines.

A Protected Name

Franciacorta holds DOCG status (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), Italy’s highest wine classification. This guarantees strict regulations on grape growing, winemaking, and aging, all with the aim of ensuring premium quality. Only sparkling wines produced within the defined Franciacorta region and made according to these rules can bear the name.

The Grapes Behind the Bubbles

The primary grapes used in Franciacorta are:

  • Chardonnay – lends elegance, freshness, and structure.
  • Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) – adds body and depth.
  • Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc) – used in smaller amounts for softness and floral notes.
  • Some producers are experimenting with Erbamat, an ancient local variety that brings acidity and character.

Styles of Franciacorta

Franciacorta offers several styles to explore:

  • Brut – the most common style, crisp and dry with fine bubbles and citrusy elegance.
  • Satèn – unique to Franciacorta, made only from white grapes (mostly Chardonnay), with lower pressure and a creamy, silky texture.
  • Rosé – includes at least 35% Pinot Nero, bringing structure and red fruit notes.
  • Millesimato (Vintage) – made from grapes of a single year, aged at least 30 months on the lees.
  • Riserva – aged over 60 months, delivering depth, complexity, and toasty richness.

Aging Matters

Franciacorta must be aged a minimum of 18 months on the lees for non-vintage wines, which is longer than the minimum required for Champagne. This extended aging imparts complexity, with aromas of brioche, toasted nuts, and citrus peel.

Food Pairing & Serving

Franciacorta’s versatility makes it a brilliant companion to a wide range of dishes:

  • Brut pairs beautifully with shellfish, sushi, and light pasta dishes.
  • Satèn is excellent with creamy risottos or mild cheeses.
  • Rosé complements roasted poultry or charcuterie.

Serve chilled (around 6–8°C / 43–46°F) in a tulip-shaped flute or white wine glass to appreciate the aroma and mousse.

Why Franciacorta Deserves a Spot in Your Cellar

Franciacorta remains underappreciated outside of Italy, which means you can often find excellent bottles at a fraction of the price of Champagne. It offers an unbeatable combination of craftsmanship, terroir, and flavor — a true gem for sparkling wine aficionados and curious newcomers alike.

Next time you’re celebrating (or just enjoying a quiet evening), reach beyond the familiar. Let Franciacorta surprise and delight you — Italy’s finest bubbles, ready to sparkle.

Monday, July 28, 2025

Grape Spotlight: Vernaccia di San Gimignano with Fattoria Poggio Alloro

Bonagiunta da Lucca; e quella faccia | Bonagiunta from Lucca; and that face
di là da lui più che l'altre trapunta | beyond him more embossed than the others
ebbe la Santa Chiesa in le sue braccia: | had the Holy Church in its arms:
dal Torso fu, e purga per digiuno | from Torso, and by fasting purges
l'anguille di Bolsena e la vernaccia". | the eels of Bolsena and the Vernaccia."
--Dante Alighieri's Purgatorio Canto XXIV

Vernaccia di San Gimignano, perhaps Tuscany's greatest white wine. It has long been esteemed by Italians from Dante's time through the modern era when in 1966 it became the first Italian wine to be awarded DOC status and 1993 upgraded to a DOCG status (the only Tuscany white wine having this designation). The Italian hill town of San Gimignano is surrounded by land that used to be the ancient Ligurian sea. Thus fossils and shells permeate the pliocene soil and clay providing mineral composition to the Vernaccia wines. These wines are also known for a string floral bouquet and abundant acidity. 

Fattoria Poggio Alloro specializes in not only Vernaccia di San Gimignano, but also a Grappa made from the must of the processed grapes.  The name Poggio Alloro means Bay Leaf Hill, and it refers to the bay laurel bushes that grow everywhere on their property. This is a destination providing spectacular views of San Gimignano and the surrounding rolling hills as well as organically growing a multitude of agricultural commodities from grapes; olives; fruits; vegetables; and grains: barley, oats, corn, sunflowers, durum, wheat, and farro to produce the delicious durum, semolina and farro pasta. With these, they offer cooking classes as well as a round of wine tasting.

These wines include, of course, Vernaccia di San Gimignano; but also Sangiovese to produce Chianti wine; and Canaiolo, Volorino, Malvasia and Trebbiano to produce the traditional Vinsanto sweet wine. The Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG is 100% Vernaccia and on the nose expect honeysuckle and perhaps tropical fruit. On the palate notice the minerality - the saline jumps forth - then alternating with pear, citrus and slight bitter almonds. 

The Grappa di Vinacce di Vernaccia is a distillate obtained from the pomace (the solid part of the grape composed of skins and seeds) of Vernaccia grapes. This grappa is noticeably fragrant with both citrus and stone fruit mixed with a soft petrol. 


Thursday, July 24, 2025

Grape Spotlight: The Green Valley of the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Sonoma County includes multiple AVAs which in turn, include even more sub-AVAs. One of the coolest and foggiest of these is the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley -- situated in the southwestern part of the Russian River Valley, squeezed into the Petaluma Gap between the Coastal Ranges to the west and the urban spread of Sebastopol and Santa Rosa to the east.  The Green Valley AVA was registered in 1983 with the name changed to the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley in 2007, tying the AVA with the region it is a part of. This move helped to distinguish Green Valley from the similarly named Solano County Green Valley AVA on the other side of Napa Valley. -- wine-searcher.com

The Green Valley of the Russian River Valley is cool because it lies on the edge of the Petaluma Gap meaning "that Green Valley is one of the last to have the fog burn off in the mornings, and one of the first to see it develop again in the afternoon. As such, the area's vineyards have a limited amount of exposure to bright sunlight every day, instead being subject to the cool, moist fog." The predominant soil-type is called “Gold Ridge”, a sandy loam that has excellent drainage and is perfectly, inherently balanced, making it one of the most coveted soil types, especially for growing Pinot Noir.

Iron Horse Vineyards takes advantage of this coolness and soil type and have planted approximately 160 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Green Valley.  Their estate is divided into 39 blocks, farmed individually, harvested separately and then each vinified as a "single vineyard". They practice “precision viticulture”: Each block has been planted with site-specific rootstock and clone selections. All pruning, canopy management, irrigation, and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage and the long-term needs of the land. They use sustainable practices such as seeing hills with erosion control cover crop; mulching with grape prunings; and recycle water to frost-protect the vines as well as irrigate the gardens.

The Iron Horse Vineyards Winery Block Pinot Noir 2020 is made from a single clone, Pommard 5, grown on the four acre Winery Block at the crest of the knoll below the winery and tasting room.  The grapes are hand harvested, then cold-soaked in stainless steel tanks for four to seven days. Before fermentation is complete, the new wine is gently pressed from the skins and transferred to French oak barrels. Fermentation then goes to completion in the barrels, allowing us to stir the lees as the wine goes through malolactic fermentation.  This process crafts a magnificent Pinot Noir where the juicy and silky black cherry fruit flows with integrity to fill the palate.  Hints of spice and minerality compliment the juicy fruit. 

Monday, July 21, 2025

Effervescence Unleashed Cocktail of the Month for July 2025: Limoncello Spritz

The Effervescence Unleashed Cocktail of the Month for July 2025 is the Limoncello Spritz. Simply add limoncello to a glass and top with sparkling wine. 

Ingredients 
1 ounce limoncello: Amaro Salento Limoncello 
Top with sparkling wine: Breathless Blanc de Noirs 

The Breathless Blanc de Noirs is a blend of 87% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Meunier, 5% Pinot Grigio, and 2% Chardonnay. It is made using méthode champenoise in Sonoma County by winemaker Penny Gadd-Coster. 

The Amaro Salento Limoncello is crafted in Salento, Puglia by Amaro Salento.




Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Puglia's Amaro Salento: Bitter Liqueurs and Limoncello

Throughout Puglia we had seen bottles of Amaro Salento Classico in various grocery stores and restaurants and by chance we were passing near their Veglie distillery on our drive to Porto Cesareo. Hoping to tour the facility we pulled in to find founder Realino Mazzotta out front but unfortunately learned we could enter the distillery. However, he called for his son Francesco to bring us a samples of several products and it was immediately evident that our detour was a prudent decision. 

The inspiration for Amaro Salento s.r.l. started in the 1940s when Realino's father Raffaele opened Bar Venezia in the center of the small town of Veglie.  Realino remembers him serving coffee corretto - a "correct" coffee with extra sugar and augmented with a bitter liqueur. During this time in Salento, home-made liqueurs were a common activity with very few commercialized spirits. Only in a few bars - like Bar Venezia - was it possible to sample liqueurs crafted from the maceration of native herbs and roots. 

The recipe used by Raffaele was never officially written down and was suggested by a monk from the nearby convent of the Friars Minor of San Giuseppe da Copertino.  This liqueur was apparently much much beloved by the American soldiers stationed in the town after the Liberation. And from our experience beloved by American tourists 75 years later. Sadly Raffaele died when Realino was young and the recipe was lost.

As life lead Realino to become an esteemed international conductor, he "maintained spiritual contact with his father by traveling through the fields and along the Ionian coast to collect rare herbs. Over the years, research also spilled over into libraries, through a meticulous selection of manuscripts that referenced some 'Herbe amarissime' (1767, Life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino – Domenico Bernino) that the saint used during penitential fasts."  

In 2014 Amaro Salento s.r.l. was born with the release of Amaro Salento Classico with the Amarissimo released a year later.  Francesco relayed that the Classico was more in line with a sweeter amaro whereas the Amarissimo was aligned to a fernet. I chose the Classico and specifically it is comprised of 45 herbs, vegetables, roots, peels, seeds, flowers, and rhizomes, including cinchona, gentian, bitter and sweet orange, elderberry, wormwood, chamomile, pigeon pea, and quassia. Some of these botanicals I've never heard of. But this is a fantastic representation of an amaro - much nicer than most of the selections we tasted throughout Italy. 

We also purchased two other bottles - their Limoncello Salento and Bitter Rurale. The Limoncello is practically finished after being served nightly since our return as a palate cleansing digestif.  It explodes with lemon flavor. Yet the biggest surprise has been the Bitter Rurale; throw out the Campari. It is a fantastic maceration of bitter orange, sweet orange, Roman wormwood, pomegranate, cascarilla, cinchona, gentian, and quassia. This bitter liqueur will be deeply missed after our last sip or Negroni.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Getting Acquainted with Fernet-Branca

Who enjoys Fernet-Branca? We were able to tour their Milano facility and even though Italian was spoken, learned plenty.

Fernet-Branca's history began in 1845 when Bernardino Branca,  a self-taught herbalist, formulated this bitter liqueur. He and his sons marketed it as a cure for many common ailments and eventually started exporting throughout the world. We learned that they started exporting to Argentina in 1905 and this country is easily its top market. They even build an Argentinean distillery in 1925.

The exact composition of botanicals and herbs are secret but we saw a wheel that includes most of the ingredients. These are sourced from all over the globe and include Chinese rhubarb, Aloe ferox (bitter aloe), cinchona, chocolate, quinine, angelica, gentian, galanga, chamomile, linden (Tiliae flos), iris, saffron, zedoary, myrrh, and cinchona.  Fernet-Branca has a higher alcohol content, at 39%, and lower sugar content than most other amaro and is aged in large barrique barrels. This helps explain its unique profile.  

Apparently, Argentineans and  Italians prefer consuming Fernet-Branca over ice with Coke. I would rather someone suggest an alternative cocktail.