Lombardia

There’s something quintessentially Italian about Lombardia. Perhaps it’s the cultural duality prevalent across much of northern Italy. Maybe it’s the fact that the cuisine is as Italian as Italian can get: tables overflowing with risotto, panettone, and osso bucco. Previous eras spent under French control don’t go unnoticed, especially in the DOCG of Franciacorta (which is as Champenoise as the Valle de la Marne itself). The mountains that characterize Lombardia’s border with Switzerland are home to the renowned DOCGs of Valtellina where the Nebbiolo grape learns the meaning of the words ”finesse” and “experimentation.”