After three days near the Swiss border, there was only one way to go if we were to remain in Italy. This morning we got on the bus to head south, toward Lake Iseo.
We traveled through the Camonica Valley, which is not as wide, as long, or as prosperous as the Valtellina Valley in which Tirano is located. But it was still quite scenic, especially as we neared the lake and the region known as "Franciacorta."
Franciacorta is known as a region for sparkling wines, and we visited a vineyard and winery there. First we toured the vineyard, then the fermenting tanks, and finally the aging cellars. It was an interesting tour.
After the tour, we were taken to a dining room for a "blind" tasting. Three different sparkling wines were described, then we put on blindfolds, and samples were poured into three glasses in front of each person. Only two of our 15 group members were able to correctly identify all three wines. Budding sommeliers we are not.
Despite our failure, we were nevertheless served a very nice lunch before continuing on our way. We got a nice view of Montisola, the large island that dominates Lake Iseo. It's right outside our hotel room window.
After walking along the lake, we returned to the hotel for dinner with the group.
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