"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne." John Maynard Keynes
The sun was streaming through the window as I pushed back the curtain and looked out upon Lake Garda. I knew I had made the right decision. Today, I would leave the chaos of Vinitaly behind me and spend a day surrounded by the beauty of Sirmione.
The view from my hotel room window in Sirmione
Sirmione is a peninsula at the southern tip of Lake Garda, just as you leave the Veneto region and enter Lombardy. The peninsula, which has been inhabited since the stone age, is strategically located and has played a significant role in military history throughout the centuries. At the tip of the peninsula is one of Sirmione's most memorable sites, Scaliger Castle, a 12th century castle surrounded by a moat with two drawbridges. While the castle might be one of the big draws of Sirmione, there are other sites to explore as well including the Roman ruins (the Grotto of Catullus), the thermal baths, and the quaint medieval village. What draws me to Sirmione is its natural beauty, cleanliness, and the flowers. Have I mentioned the flowers; everywhere there are flowers. Like Venice, I like to think of Sirmione as a kind of Disneyland for adults where the boats are real, the destinations are picturesque, the food is good, and, an as an added bonus, you can drink great wine. And, today, food and wine, specifically Franciacorta, were on my mind.
 The streets of Sirmione |  Scaliger Castle, Sirmione |
As we left the hotel to begin our walk into town, I could feel all of the tensions of days of work and Vinitaly recede, and I embraced the calm. This was a day without a time clock, without set goals, without a plan. Well, there was one exception to all of this. Jim wanted to eat lunch at Leo's Hamburgeria. We had seen Leo's on our first visit to Sirmione nearly two years ago, but we had not eaten there as I do not eat red meat. But, now, Jim really wanted to go, and knowing that I could get something that did not include products from any animal with big brown eyes, I agreed to try it.
No kiddng, there is a place called Leo's Hamburgeria
With Luca in the lead, my husband, Jim, and I strolled down the park lined avenue, over the bridge, past the castle, and into the medieval town of Sirmione. From our previous visit to Sirmione, we had a good idea where Leo's was, and so we set off to find it. Finding it was easy; but once we did, we were met by disappointment. It seems Leo's was closed for some renovation. Okay, new plan for our plan-less day; find a place for lunch. And the Bill theory of the life of Jim and Maree scores another point. Jim's friend Bill likes to remind us that if we have a plan, that is a guarantee that we will do something else.
While there is certainly no dearth of restaurants in Sirmione, we were now looking for something special. At every restaurant, we stopped to read the menu. Finally, we reached the end of the peninsula where the swans were entertaining the tourists, or perhaps the tourists were entertaining the swans. It certainly was not clear from watching the interaction. Our dog, Luca, found them interesting, but reason overshadowed his curiosity (unlike some of the tourists) and he had no desire to get too close.
While there is certainly no dearth of restaurants in Sirmione, we were now looking for something special. At every restaurant, we stopped to read the menu. Finally, we reached the end of the peninsula where the swans were entertaining the tourists, or perhaps the tourists were entertaining the swans. It certainly was not clear from watching the interaction. Our dog, Luca, found them interesting, but reason overshadowed his curiosity (unlike some of the tourists) and he had no desire to get too close.
The swans of Sirmione inspecting a tourist
As we headed further into the village, we spotted a menu strategically placed under a portico at the top of some stairs heading into a secluded setting by the lake. The location made this seem a little mysterious and possibly exclusive, and we decided to peruse the menu. The menu looked really interesting, interesting in a good way. I immediately wanted to try a couple of the things, but the price was amazing too. So, we kept walking and reading menus. Unfortunately, after the amazing menu, nothing else looked good. So, we compromised. We will go to the expensive restaurant and just have a couple of appetizers and some wine. Retracing our tracks, we entered Antica Trattoria La Speranzina. And, we were not disappointed. Of course, our hamburger lunch just turned into a Michelin star lunch. I say, "Viva la differenza".
The entrance to the restaurant and garden decorated for the holidays
As planned, we ordered the shrimp and scallop appetizers. But ordering the wine, was much more difficult. The encyclopedia sized volume sat in front of me, and I kept wandering through the pages as I sipped my aperitif of Franciacorta. While I perused the tome, the amuse bouche arrived. It was a feast for the senses, quail eggs with caviar, small cones filled with gorgonzola and mascarpone, thumbnail size arancini. But now, the pressure was on. What wine will I drink. Okay, it should not have been that difficult since I had started out the day planning to do a Franciacorta tasting, and eventually reason prevailed. I ordered a bottle of Franciacorta. When the appetizers were finished, the Franciacorta effect was taking hold, and we decided we really should have something more to eat. Ravioli carbonara to share was our choice. Afterward, many beautiful little desserts courtesy of the house arrived. But, why talk about the food when I can show you the food. I think these photos will say it better than a 1,000 words and will more effectively spark your imagination and arouse your taste buds.
 | Enough about the food, let's talk about the Franciacorta. I must admit that I was prepared to not like it. I am not really a huge fan of most French champagne, and I thought Franciacorta might have the same overpowering yeasty taste. Ah, is it naivety; have I fallen prey to the advertising campaign, " Franciacorta is the Italian Champagne"? Some say the name Franciacorta even means little France. We ordered a bottle of Montenisa Franciacorta Brut which is a Marchese Antonori wine. The Montenisa estate is located in the heart of the Franciacorta DOCG, south of Lake Iseo in the Lombardy region. In 1999, the Marchese Antinori and Conti Maggi families partnered to manage the estate and produce Franciacorta. This Franciacorta is a DOCG wine fermented partly in stainless steel and partly in barriques with a second fermentation in the bottle for a minimum of 30 months. It is composed of Chardonnay, Pinot bianco, and a very little bit of Pinot nero. Our waiter arrived with the bottle, popped the cork, and I watched with anticipation as the Franciacorta cascaded into the glass. |
The perlage was happy, lots of tiny bubbles gently floated to the surface. As I considered the nature of the bubbles, they transformed into the sugar plum fairies in The Nutcracker Ballet. But their dance did not falter when the song ended, the perlage was lasting. The golden yellow liquid was lighter in tone than many champagnes. The nose peaches, apples, toast, but with more fruit than yeast. It was very pleasant. In the mouth, the Montenisa was delicate, with a depth of flavors of ripe fruits and honey or melon. It is balanced and very approachable wine. After one sip I was now a Franciacorta drinker. I think my annual wine budget just skyrocketed.
The Montenisa Franciacorta Brut is available at multiple sellers in the United States for around $30.00 per bottle. Check out wine-searcher.com to find it in your area. It's a keeper.
For more information on the Montenisa Winery, visit their website at http://www.montenisa.it
The Montenisa Franciacorta Brut is available at multiple sellers in the United States for around $30.00 per bottle. Check out wine-searcher.com to find it in your area. It's a keeper.
For more information on the Montenisa Winery, visit their website at http://www.montenisa.it
