During a recent media trip to Franciacorta, I had the privilege of visiting La Montesa Winery. This is owned by the Antinori Family which is one of the oldest families in the Italian Wine Industry and extremely historical. I have been to their Napa Winery, Antica Winery a few years ago so it was extremely special visiting La Montesa in Italy during this media trip. See more of my Franciacorta Italy Winery coverage here.

The stunning living room area we were welcomed into upon arriving. It’s so old and has such character and charm it feels as if you’re in someone’s home.

Touring the caves, a tradition done at every winery we visited.

The spectacular painted ceilings inside the winery. Truly beautiful.

The line up of wines we tasted during our seated tasting.  Notice the exquisite detail on this label and the etching below the brand name. It’s so beautiful with such a lovely focus on the details.

This was my favorite of the wines we tried, a 2007 Marchese Antinori Contessa Riserva. 

The lovely lunch began with a spread of cheese and charcuterie (this is pretty common cuisine for Lombardy) so if you visit plan to eat lots of meats, fish, and cheese. In the 6 days, I visited I had 2 salads so definitely ate quite well, but it was also very heavy and rich.

Enjoying the delicious homemade pasta paired with the Marchesi Antinori Rose which was my favorite wine we experienced.  This Ravioli was cooked in brown butter making it so rich and yummy which the light rose was a perfect pairing.

Lunch concluded with this amazing pie. I am not typically a sweet eater but after trying a bite of this it was like something out of your great-great grandmother’s kitchen not to be missed.

Enjoying our afternoon coffee post-lunch. Even the table side presentation of this coffee felt so old school lacking the modern coffee makers we are so used to in the United States.

Our lovely hosts, the Chef, and our fabulous hostess and guide leading the tour.

Cheers to the amazing Marchese Antinori Team for hosting me during this informative, delicious and stunning visit and The Franciactora Wine Symposium for coordinating the itinerary and inviting me on this lovely Franciacorta Wine Region Media Trip.

If you enjoyed this blog post and want to see more about stunning Franciacorta find all of my Franciacorta Italy coverage here.

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