Just this week, the Franciacorta New York Festival was held in the historic Redbury Hotel in New York City. Sponsored by the 200-member consortium of Franciacorta producers, the event aimed to spread the word about this lesser known sparkling Italian wine through educational seminars and tastings. Open to consumers and the trade, about 35 wineries participated in the event, many still seeking U.S. importers.

It’s now almost two years ago but the memories of our first taste of Franciacorta remain vivid. We were introduced to this new-to-us, bubbly wine in the small commune (town) of Cervia, Italy. It was a 2011 vintage, acknowledged widely as a very good year. Our visit to Cervia (located in the province of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region) began with a flat-bottomed electric boat tour on a canal in the Po Delta Regional Park.