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Il Mosnel Winery Guide

Winery Overview

Franciacorta wine country near Lake Iseo is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets for wine lovers. Franciacorta’s bubblies are the crème de la crème of sparkling wines in Italy. This region is the perfect wine-tasting excursion from Milan, as it is just over an hour’s drive. One of the loveliest historic wineries in the Franciacorta appellation, Il Mosnel Winery produces excellent still wines and Bollicine (“Bubbles,” as sparkling wine is referred to in Italian). Run by the Barboglio family since the early 1800s and operating under the Il Mosnel label since the late ’70s, it’s a beautiful historic estate located near the medieval village of Rodengo (home to a Cistercian Abbey whose monks cultivated vineyards in the region for centuries).

Like most wineries here, Il Mosnel only began making Franciacorta (the local Champagne-method sparkling wine) in the latter part of the 20th century, following the pioneering winemaker Franco Ziliani’s experimentation with sparkling wines. In earlier days, dating back to Roman times, the region was better known for reds, though there is evidence of sparkling wine being made as early as the 17th century. In 1968, Il Mosnel was one of the first wineries to join the brand-new Franciacorta DOC (now DOCG). Decades later, it was followed by a slew of high-budget wineries that today make this once-sleepy corner of Lombardia such a fashionable place and have given it a reputation as the birthplace of Italy’s best sparkling wines.

Il Mosnel’s history can be traced back to the 16th century when the powerful Cacciamatta family owned the cellars that the winery still uses today. In the first half of the 19th century, the cellars and surrounding estate were sold to the Barboglio family. Emanuela Barboglio oversaw the winery’s often tricky transition from still wine producer to sparkling wine producer during the latter part of the 20th century. Her grown children now run the family business: Guilio Barzanò, head of technical, business, and production areas, and Lucia Barzanò, in charge of administration, marketing, and public relations.

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Author

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Genevieve Mc Carthy

Genevieve, originally from San Diego, California, has spent the last 25 years living in Europe, primarily in Spain, Ireland, and Italy. She has a background in the wine industry, having worked for a top wine importer in Ireland and a prestigious winery in Italy's Franciacorta region. In 2003, Genevieve founded Cellar Tours, a boutique wine tours company based in Madrid, Spain. She holds wine education credentials from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in London and has a strong network within the European wine industry. Genevieve's specializes in organizing VIP tours to exclusive wineries that are not accessible to the general public. With a passion for food and wine, fluency in multiple languages, and expertise in luxury travel and tourism, Genevieve has built a successful career in creating unique wine experiences.

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