The 54th edition of Autunno Gussaghese began on 31st August, a historic event held every year to promote the area via a packed programme. In accordance with tradition the event ended on Sunday 29 September with yet another Festa dell’Uva and open with a mass and traditional blessing of the grapes before ending at 3 pm with a lambretta scooter and allegorical float procession through Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
However, the opportunities to explore the territory of this Franciacorta municipality continue throughout the autumn.
There is a small family-run wine estate set up in the late 1990s by the then twenty-something Andrea Arici right in Gussago. After breathing new life into fifteen hectares of abandoned vineyards Andrea tasted the first fruits of his hard work in 2002 with his father Francesco, focusing exclusively on pas dosé Franciacorta right from the start. It was an uncompromising decision which made Colline della Stella one of the most authentic Brescia classic method wine expressions in a short time.
Just a few hundred metres away is La Manèga, a family-run wine estate founded in Gussago’s hills in 1992 by Natale Rizzini. Clayey limestone soil, plenty of sun and a constant wind makes for crisp, minerally Franciacorta, Satèn and Rosé wines which are especially well-suited to lengthy ageing on the lees. #vedicosabevi (See what you drink) is the motto of estate tastings always preceded by a stroll through the estate’s vineyards.
At the foot of the Selva hill dominated by Santuario della Madonna della Stella, Antica Trattoria Piè del Dos welcomes in travellers looking for ‘yesteryear’ flavours. Its wisteria-covered portico is at its best in spring and its two pleasantly retro-style rooms – a better option in cold weather – are equally comfortable. Traditional Franciacorta cuisine is supplemented by Po valley flavours resulting in Brescia-style casoncelli pasta and oil-cooked beef coexisting with filled pastas and braised and boiled meats. The menu is lighter in the summer as a result of the addition of Lake Iseo fish. Our prestigious Franciacorta DOCG is ideal for drinking right through a meal but anyone preferring red wine will have no difficulty in finding what they’re looking for in the restaurant’s large wine list from Brescia and beyond.
Ristorante Carlo Magno – located along the road linking Cellatica with Collebeato – is a valid option for those looking for a stylish ambience and creative cuisine. In an attractive 16th century residence, chef Beppe Maffioli is committed to using the fruits of each individual season, paying homage to the Franciacorta area’s produce with dishes which are not afraid to bring in outside ingredients.
Anyone wanting to stay a bit longer might want to eat at B&B Torre Salis, in a tower house commissioned by aristocratic Oddone de Salis in 1087, an attractive, historic residence which is ideal for the first autumn weekends.
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