EAT: Due Colombe
I came across the name of this Michelin starred restaurant many times as being one of the best in the area. It is located very close to Berlucchi winery. We asked the hotel about a car to the restaurant for dinner, and it was very costly. Therefore, we made the decision to drive ourselves to and from dinner. The drive is relatively easy from L’Albereta. A woman greeted us downstairs inside the entry and escorted us upstairs to a fantastic yet large rectangular room with very few tables. The owner greeted us almost immediately. The experience was so personal. We tried the Due Classics and Discovery Selection of wines. There are two tasting menus to choose from and, as far as the wines, their sommelier will make a decision based upon how many you choose to try with your meal. The option is available to pair two, three, or four wines. They offer an intimate feel with a non-stuffy ambience. The wait staff was kind and the evening felt leisurely and not rushed. The food was exceptional. It was well worth the visit and a unique experience.
Due Colombe
THINGS TO DO:
1. Relax. Be sure to build in some time at L’Albereta to walk around the property and take advantage of the spa. You don’t have to book a treatment at the spa to enjoy it. We laid by the indoor pool at the end of the day and utilized the steam room and sauna. These amenities are all included as part of your stay. It is a great way to unwind after visiting wineries and prior to dinner.
2. Visit Wineries. This is the reason why I chose Franciacorta as a day trip when visiting Milan. I absolutely love sparkling wine, and there are endless wineries to visit. It is enough to occupy your time for days. After our experience, I would recommend two wineries per day. It may be possible to visit three, but it seemed that most places have set times that they provide their tours on a daily basis.
We went to Berlucchi for an afternoon visit and went on an English speaking tour with a group of people. Our guide was very knowledgeable, so kind, and he spoke perfect English. We chatted with him after the tour, and he actually had dinner the evening before at Due Colombe for his birthday and reassured us what a wonderful experience it would be.
The tour of their cellar was a really great learning opportunity. There was so much about the process of creating sparkling wine that I was utterly clueless about. At the end, we were able to try two wines. They also had a large block of a fantastic cheese, sausage, and bread. It was really an extensive spread and a welcomed surprise!
Another winery we visited was Bersi Serlini. Initially, I was a little disappointed with this option. The hotel set this visit up for us, and I didn’t see it listed on any of the articles in my searches. They tried calling several places and a few were closed and others didn’t have availability. This was discouraging, so I would recommend setting up tours as soon as you book your hotel reservation. Once we arrived at Bersi Serlini, we met Sophia, our guide. She was really fantastic, and we had a private tour of the winery and cellar.
Following this, we went back for a tasting. Between myself and my travel partner, we were able to try all of the sparkling wines that they make. I believe it was 3-4 per person. The pours were very generous. We also received a very similar snack to what we enjoyed at Berlucchi. We ended up purchasing two bottles here, and the prices were very reasonable around 22 Euro per bottle. In the end, I was extremely pleased with the experience. The service we received here felt even more personal because of the private tour and having the tasting room to ourselves after the tour. The Anteprima was one of the bottles we purchased. Recently, we opened the bottle back home, and I really enjoyed it.
Last but not least, we visited Il Dosso di Archetti Luca. We set this visit up ourselves on a complete whim the evening before when we were already in the area. I was hoping to add in one additional winery, and we were able to secure this tasting online. This was a very authentic experience. We drove onto the property and found the entry, which was a smaller room with a big family style table. When we entered, we heard someone in the next room. He spoke only Italian and acknowledged our tasting visit set up online. He did get his wife who spoke a bit more English. At the end of this experience, we tried much more than what was promised to us on the “pre-paid” tasting. We communicated via google translate and any means possible. We learned so much amount their family, kids, and how they met. It was so much fun. They took us out to their cellar and walked us around the property too. We left with two bottles of wine which included a red and also port. They do have sparkling wines as well, but the red and port ended up being our favorites!
Two places that we were unable to visit that I would recommend looking into are Bellavista and Ca’ Del Bosco. Bellavista is essentially in the backyard of L’Albereta. While having dinner at Due Colombe, we had a Bellavista Brut 2008 Franciacorta. In my opinion, it was fantastic! The taste was different in a hard to describe yet fantastic way and one of the best sparkling wines I have tried in quite some time. After leaving the area, I did come across a glass of Ca’ Del Bosco at a restaurant in Chicago and was happy for the opportunity to try it. Ca’ Del Bosco was closed the day we requested a visit, but it was on the list of places as a “must see.”
It is difficult to find Franciacorta bottles in the US. If there are vintages you like, bring a few home with you. We brought home four bottles very well packaged and they made it back without any troubles. Since returning, the Ca’ Del Bosco is the only bottle that I have seen in the States readily available for purchase.
