lombardy
The Business Centre of Italy
First inhabited by Gallic tribes, what is today Lombardy was conquered by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C. and became part of the Cisalpine Gaul, which in Latin means “Gaul on this side of the Alps”. As with much of modern Italy, the region was theater to many invasions and occupations by Nordic and Eastern tribes generically referred to as barbarians. In A.D. 569 the area became the center of the kingdom of the Lombards, an ancient German group that gave the region its current name.
The Oltrepò Pavese, which means beyond the Po River and translates into an area roughly corresponding to the Pavia province, has a long tradition of excellent wine. Only recently has its wines acquired a well-deserved recognition that goes beyond the national borders. The tradition of selling these modestly priced wines locally in the countryside’s osterie, or taverns, lined along the banks of the Ticino and Po rivers, has led to the lingering false impression that the local production was of lesser quality than wines produced in the neighboring regions.
The Valtellina DOC zone, centered around the province of Sondrio, produces some of the most appreciated regional wines based largely on the local version of Nebbiolo, the Piedmont noble grape known here as Chiavannesca. The Valtellina Superiore DOCs, which are usually differentiated by the area where the grape was grown, are especially good.
The province of Brescia, which includes the Franciacorta zone with its rich reds, excellent whites, and outstanding sparkling wines, is the third major wine producing area. There are about 70 wineries within the Franciacorta zone, and some of them are producers of arguably some of the best Italian sparkling
wines and are recognized national leaders in quality and prestige. In addition, there are two more DOC zones, the Cellatica and Botticino, that are closer to the city of Brescia, and other notable wines, such as the Trebbiano di Lugana, are produced on the Brescian shores of the Garda Lake.
Surrounded by the beauty of the landscape Franciacorta, in the municipality of Corte Franca, is an ancient farmhouse of the eighteenth century. This intact structure, full of magical charm, is surrounded by four old vineyards: this is the winery located where the Four Lands meet.
The project is ambitious and arises primarily from the desire to give substance to a dream: to express this wonderful land through the wines that best represent the Franciacorta.