A Beautiful Wine Tasting: Francone Winery, Neive, Italy

This experience was so much fun that I’m not sure where to begin telling the story. Should I start at the beginning, with a beautiful wine tasting and tour at Francone Winery in Neive? Or should I start at the end, in the famous Gallina vineyards drinking Francone’s award-winning Barbaresco with new friends; the Alps visible in the distance? I think I shall start at the beginning because it set the tone for the rest of the day.

Fabrizio Francone greeted us that chilly morning, wearing several layers of plaid and an abundance of energy and enthusiasm.  We felt instantly at home there at his family’s cantina in Neive. Fabrizio has an ease about him which makes him a natural ambassador for the Langhe, Roero, and Monferato wine regions of Piedmont, Italy.

 

 

The Francone Family In Neive

The Francone family began producing wine in Piedmont in the late 1800s. While they began production for personal use, they later promoted their wines in the nearby city of Turin. In 1964, the Francone family built the cantina as a wine tasting room to cater to tourists discovering the area. 

 

 

Today the vineyards and the village of Neive are part of a newly designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing ever more tourism to the area. Neive is also one of the Borghi piu belli d’Italia, or, one the most beautiful small villages in Italy. 

 

 

A visit to the fifty-plus-year-old cantina is like walking through the Francone family history. The cantina is filled with the relics and tools of viticulture, art, and information about the terroir. It is like a museum that tells the story of five generations of winemaking.

Though steeped in history, Francone is a forward-thinking company; sustainable methods and techniques are implemented throughout the winemaking process.  For example, stainless steel fermentation tanks are cooled by recycled and reclaimed water the water that flows over the sides. 

 

Wine Tasting

In these water-cooled tanks, the fermentation of the Dolcetto and Arneis was already underway.  Fabrizio gave us a taste of each straight from the tank. But the wine Francone is primarily known for is their Barbaresco, made from the Nebbiolo grape– the most important red wine varietal grown in the Langhe. I was looking forward to sampling the Barbaresco Riserva when we sat down for a proper tasting.

 

 

Francone produces about twenty different wines, but of course, we did not taste them all. I’ve included some tasting notes for three wines: the Arneis, because we also had a taste of this wine still in the fermentation stage; the Barbaresco Riserva, as noted earlier, Barbaresco is the most important wine Francone produces; and the Valsellera, because I like sparkling wine.

 

 

The Arneis DOCG had lovely citrus and floral notes both on the nose and palate, typical of this grape variety. Francone ages their Arneis on the lees for two months which helps give it a very creamy mouthfeel. Or as Fabrizio says, “With every drop, you feel a little better.”

 

 

The Valsellera is a sparkling rose made in the metodo classico and aged on the lees about twenty-four months. It’s unique because it is made from Nebbiolo grapes, the same grapes used to make the Barbaresco. But used in the rosé, the fruitiness of the Nebbiolo can be coaxed from the grapes, making this a delightful and refreshing wine that pairs well with appetizers. It is simply a great wine for drinking any time.

 

 

Our tasting was accompanied by breadsticks and some local salumi and cheeses.
Since it was only 10 am I was happy for the food – it meant I could drink a little more of the sparkling wine and I didn’t have to spit out as much. Spitting out wine may sound like blasphemy but when you have a full day of winery visits ahead of you, it is all about survival.

 

 

The Barbaresco Riserva 2010 DOCG expressed the characteristics of the terroir, and the grapes come from the oldest vines. Barbaresco has softer tannins than Barolo, which is also made from Nebbiolo grapes, and can be drunk within five years of bottling. Ripe fruit, leather, spice, and jam are some of the tasting notes on the palate. I’d like to drink this wine with lamb chops.

 

Read more about the differences between Barolo and Barbaresco

If wine and food pairings are a mystery to you, the Francone site has food pairing suggestions for each of its wines. Follow this link for information on more wines and the tasting notes.

 

Visit The Vineyards

 

 

A highlight of the day was a visit to the historic Gallina vineyards (some of the most famous vineyards in the Langhe)  Just a short distance from Barbaresco the Gallina vineyards produce wines of distinction and great character.

 

 

In these vineyards, Francone grows Nebbiolo for their delicious and award-winning Barbaresco wine, as well as Dolcetto, Moscato, and Chardonnay grapes. All of the wine produced from these vineyards is either DOC or DOCG (denominazione origine controllata or denominazione origine controllata garantita), the highest designation in Italy. The wines from the Gallina vineyards are recognizable by the label designation, Antichi Poderi dei Gallina.

 

 

More About The Gallina Vineyards 

In 1990, the Francone family decided that these vineyards merited a label of their own and created Antichi Poderi dei Gallina: complex, stylish wines with excellent aging potential, made unique by the terroir, Gallina in Neive.  The grape varieties cultivated on these hills are: Nebbiolo (Barbaresco ‘l Ciaciaret), Dolcetto ( Menturin), Moscato (Poderi Gallina), Chardonnay ( Le Rose), and soon, two new vineyards will be born here, with Pinot Nero and Nascetta. 

The above information was taken from the Francone website.

Harvest In The Vineyards

The day we visited the vineyards workers were busy with the harvest. Because of the steepness of the slopes, the grapes are harvested by hand. Fabrizio showed us how to cut the grape clusters from the vines and add them to the bins without damaging them.  

 

To reward our labor in the vineyards,  Fabrizio surprised us with a bottle of the Antichi Poderi Gallina Barbaresco DOCG. As we toasted the beautiful day, the harvest, and of course Francone, I imagined what it might be like to own a vineyard in Italy’s famous Langhe area. I understood why Fabrizio is such a happy guy – he is surrounded by one of man and nature’s most stunning landscapes every single day.

 

 

Barbaresco DOCG Gallina vineyards

“The Barbaresco DOCG Gallina is crafted from the grapes of L’Ciaciaret vineyard in the Gallina cru, the most valuable cru of the Neive area, which is on Renato Ratti’s Map of Historic Barbaresco cru-vineyards. It was one of the first cru-mentions to feature in the local wine labels. Thanks to a south/south-west facing exposure of the slope, the vineyard produces nebbiolo grapes which can give intensive and extremely fine wines.”

To visit Cantina Francone in Neive, check the website for hours. Or contact Valerie at Girls Gotta Drink, she organized my tour of Francone and several other wineries in Piemonte.

Cantina Francone
Via Tanaro, 45 – 12052 Neive
You can also follow Francone Winery on Facebook.

 

Where To Stay In Neive

Depending on whether you prefer a countryside experience or a small village, I recommend staying in the charming village of Neive, one of Italy’s most beautiful small towns. Aside from being extremely picturesque, Neive has several excellent restaurants.

Francone Winery also offers accommodations in the Gallina vineyards. The apartments are not far from Neive and Barbaresco. I think sleeping surrounded by these ancient vineyards would be a really cool experience.

I’ve included a couple of photos of Neive, to pique your interest.

All content copyright Penny Sadler. If you see something you like and would like usage, please contact me directly.