Franciacorta:

There are two main wine growing zones in the province of Brescia.

The first occupies the slopes towards Lake Garda while the second is the the famous Franciacorta to the west of the provincial capital on the sweet slopes of the 'colline moreniche' facing Brescia and Lago d’Iseo.

The name probably refers to the order or 'corti' of monks who cultivated the land and protected the town of Brescia from attack by northern barbarians. For this they were exempt, or 'franche', from paying tax.

Others suggest it refers to the short or 'corta' attempt by the French to take the territory in the 13th century.

Whatever the truth, the modern success of the wine is thanks to the new production techniques introduced from the Champagne region of France.

It was Pope Leon X who first picked up on the wine thanks to repeated attempts by the local powers to win his favour by sending him samples of the local output. They must have succeeded.

Look out for the wine fair in mid May at Polpenazza del Garda and visitors might also like to pick up a bottle of the equally fine Grappa di Malvasia from Brescia.

The Festival of Franciacorta usually takes place on the 3rd week of September and the traditional focal point of the event is the 16th century Villa Lechi di Erbusco, province of Brescia.

The weekend is split into a series of appointments and events to help the visitor find out absolutely everything there is to know about the gastronomic traditions of the zone.

Look out for such events as the following: 'Il Franciacorta in Assaggio' - Sampling of local food; 'Franciacorta Brut e i Salumi d'Autore' - Wine and goats' cheese; 'L'eccellenza dei Millesimati' - Look out for Bagoss, Bitto and Grana Padano; 'Satèn, un suono, uno stile, un territorio' - San Daniele ham and cheese from the Valchiavenna.

The weekend also includes guided tours of the wine cantinas “Alla scoperta delle Cantine" and special weekend food packages.

All in all there are around 80 Franciacorta wine labels to try.

01.Wine Tasting