Just south of Lake Iseo we were in the Franciacorta wine region. This is the home of Italy’s hand-harvested, bottle-aged sparkling wine.
Like champagne, franciacorta can only be produced in a specific geographic region, and only with particular grape varietals: chardonnay, pinot nero, and pinot bianco.
Bersi Serlini is one of the oldest wineries in Franciacorta with its origin in the MiddleAges. An order of Cluny monks settled in this area in the 11th century.
With wine fundamentally entwined with religion, a steady and uninterrupted supply was crucial. This is mainly why many abbeys and monasteries ventured into winemaking.
The monks had the time to examine their initial results in monastic wine grapes and improve their technique. Consequently, the end result was improved vines and farming techniques as well advanced wine-making skills.
One of the original frescos can be seen on the current wall.
After 700 years of Cluny Monks, the property became private and in 1886 it was acquired by Bersi Serlini Family. Today the Winery is run by two sisters, Chiara and Maddalena Bersi Serlini. The monks experimented with new viticultural techniques and left the Bersi Serlini family, centuries later, with a valuable “savoir-faire” that has enabled them to carry on where the monks left off.
After an informative tour of the vineyard and the wine making process, we were given a blind taste test with three of the varieties. A delightful experience, but I was only able to identify one out of the three.
