The wine produced in Italy’s Franciacorta, the bucolic agricultural area known for its sparkling wines just outside of Brescia, is not Prosecco. This was the first thing that I learned during my time with the Franciacorta Consortium, the local economic and agrotourism board, who invited me to the area for a three day tour of wine tasting throughout the region.

My time with the Consortium came directly after the press preview for the Venice Biennale, a complete assault on the senses where every moment is coordinated. I needed a break, a moment to contemplate, and in this way Franciacorta offered an almost idyllic escape.