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Benvenuto Brunello 2020: Tours

Valtellina

Bespoke Wine Experiences Near Lake Como

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If you are staying in Lake Como and are interested in tasting some fine Italian wines and cuisine, you can rely on The GastroNomad to sweep you away for a memorable day of visiting some hidden gems. If you enjoy steep hills, red wine and rustic cuisine, Valtellina is your style and we will head north. If you are a fan of fizz and like to sparkle with refined cuisine, then we will head south and Franciacorta may be a pleasant surprise for your senses.   You will also be ahead of the game, as Milan, Valtellina and the Dolomites will be hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The wines of these regions will become world renowned after so many internationals will finally have a chance to discover them.

Italian Wine Scholar Guild

Northern Italy

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Valtellina

the Pre-Alps heroic vineyards

A day trip to the bucolic region of Valtellina, which starts at the northern tip of Lake Como and extends east across five wine sub-regions.  The warm and rustic Valtellina is mountainous with a beautiful valley between the peaks.  It is known for its apple production, local meats and cheeses, and wines.  Activities you may enjoy in and around Valtellina include walking through the vineyards on well-marked trails, white water rafting, mountain climbing, resting afterwards in their famous thermal springs, or taking the scenic train journey through the Alps to nearby St. Moritz Switzerland.

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The grape varietal used in the production of Valtellina's elegant red wines is Chiavennasca, which is their local name for the Nebbiolo grape (used to produce the famed Barolo and Barbaresco).  If you are an Amarone lover, you will enjoy Sforzato style, which is produced using the same method as Amarone, but  using the single varietal Chiavennasca.  Because the grapes are grown on very steep slopes and must be harvested by hand, Valtellina’s vineyards are known as "heroic". Come wine tasting with us at our favorite cantinas and to sample some outstanding wines with local meats and cheeses.

The cuisine in Valtellina is rustic and pairs exceptionally well the local wines.  The area is known for its famous pasta dish, pizzoccheri, its stewed meets which melt in your mouth, and its traditional appetizer, sciatt, a deep fried cheesy delight, and much more. 

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On your chauffeured day trip, you will have the option of:

  • vineyard walk, lunch at the winery with food pairings and a winery tour

  • winery visit, lunch at the winery with food pairings and a second winery visit

Franciacorta

the sparkling wine route

Franciacorta is at the foot of Lake Iseo in the Lombardy region.  We consider this to be a yet undiscovered hidden gem of Italy, especially for gourmands. Francicorta is known for its champagne style sparkling wine (metedo classico in Italian) , which is produced using mostly Chardonnay, and sometimes Pinot Noir and Pinot Bianco grapes.  The region boasts the highest percentage of organic vineyards in Italy.  As expected, the wines are of great quality and their are some gorgeous wineries with memorable tours.  With rolling hills, dotted with vineyards, Franciacorta is also known to be the land of Castles, and many of these preserved structures can be visited and used to host wine tastings.

 

Like Champagne France, we have discovered that the region’s fine cuisine  pairs very well with their still and sparkling productions.  One of our favorites is the risotto made with sparkling Franciacorta and a very delicate local cheese.  We have selected some excellent and consistently good restaurants.  In Franciacorta, it is not uncommon to have sparkling wine with meals. You may find yourself doing the same after visiting the region.

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If you have members of your group that are not into fizz, fear not as they also produce some beautiful still wines (Curtefranca) in Bordeaux style using international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and indigenous Barbera or Nebbiolo, and also single varietal still wines using Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco.

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On your chauffeured day trip, you will have the option of:

  • winery visit, lunch at the winery with food pairings and a castle tour

  • winery visit, lunch at the winery with food pairings and a second winery visit

Franciacorta

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