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Lombardia Italy

Arcari e Danesi

OUR PRODUCERS: Arcari e Danesi

  • THE ARTIST
  • THE PLACE
  • PHILOSOPHIES
  • WINEMAKING

Arcari e Danesi is the reward of fifteen years of hard work from Giovanni Arcari and Nico Danesi, all dedicated to Franciacorta. They didn’t start like other wineries. They started because they were attracted to Franciacorta and wanted to fully explore and understand the terrain first. They then began to experiment. Their plan had always been to help develop an identity for Franciacorta that wasn’t based on comparisons (like to Champagne), but was based on the qualities of the region and the strength of the wines.

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The first harvest for them was in 2006, the same year Nico’s son, Tiziano, was born. Their first harvest came from an old vineyard in Gussago where the grapes were trained on backyard “pergola arbor.” They still make a thousand bottles from this vineyard (the logistical limit): T (dedicated to Tiziano) a reserve bottling of non-dosage Franciacorta. Today the company farms twelve acres.

In 2007, they began experimenting with Saten. They knew it was vital to bottle one because it’s a benchmark style for the region, but also knew that their wine making style was largely at odds with oaky, high dosage, conventional Saten. They had been working towards bottling their Franciacortas “methodo SoloUva,” refermenting only with grape must and no added sugar ever. Adjusting this method to the rich Satèn style took some careful adjustments, but in 2012 they began bottling Satèn, and all other wines with no exogenous sugars.

“The first bottles of Satèn that we produced were a great success for us. Unconcerned with the market of numbers, we fight obstinately against taste homologation. At our peril, we invented a Satèn that we hope will lead to a technical revolution in this territory.”

When they aren’t busy making Franciacorta, Giovanni and Nico are busy helping promote and improve Franciacorta, so that all producers in the region might finally be recognized for excellent, unique sparkling wines.

The main vineyard is conveniently located next to the cellar. It’s a six-acre amphitheater of terraces planted with Chardonnay and a small number of Pinot Bianco vines. It’s all inside a eighty-four acre forest, with a maximum altitude of eleven hundred feet above sea level and Southeastern exposure.

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The Montorfano is the oldest and most dramatic outcrop of the Po Valley, just east of lake Como. Geologically, it’s composed of conglomerate rocks. Specifically, there is a high percentage of coarse, pebbly minerals and clastic sedimentary rock that suggests that the region was once an old river delta.

The current geography is estimated to have originated between five and twenty-six million years ago. It’s current geography was formed by erosion from ancient glaciers from the sides of the Orobian Alps. Originally the whole area was covered by oak and chestnut trees. Grapevines made their appearance during the first Roman Empire. The first terraced vineyards in the area are dated back to the 15th century.

Franciacorta isn’t Champagne. It’s warmer, and a much better climate for ripening grapes.

Giovanni and Nico are more than just Franciacorta producers. They are Franciacorta advocates. They are constant advocates for more quality control in the region, a more distinctive style and more “grower Franciacorta.”

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Before petitioning the consorzio to to make various quality control measures, such as lowering the press volume from 65% to 55%, Arcari e Danesi do it themselves. They hope to lead by example, but also that other producers in the region will follow, and help them elevate the quality of Franciacorta across the appellation.

“The vineyard is our home and we respect it as our own lives.”

Arcari e Danesi developed a new production method called “Methodo SoloUvo,” which is a revolution for Bottle-fermented sparkling wine. They completely stopped using cane sugar for dosage and triage, only natural grape sugars. Without sugar, the grapes must be harvested at full phenolic ripeness, giving their Franciacortas a different character than most sparkling wines. Full phenolic ripeness of the grapes has the added benefit of being able to fully express the terroir of their vineyards without muting the grapes, and without distractions like cane sugar.

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“You can make great wine here if you stop harvesting grapes before they are physiologically perfectly ripe. Unripe fruit cannot express terroir and the sugar you use in second fermentation and liqueur d’expédition makes for very uniform wines.”

Wines are aged on lees for thirty months before disgorgement, to build even more richness, all without any non-grape sugar.

PHOTO GALLERY

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PRESS AND AWARDS

The new Franciacorta – A battle against dosage

What’s wrong with Franciacorta?

AT A GLANCE

WHO:
Giovanni Arcari and Nico Danesi

WHERE:
Coccaglio (Brescia), Lombardia

WHAT:
Barbera, Chardonnay, Marzemino, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Schiava

HOW:
In Respect of Nature

QUANTITY:
30,000 bottles

LOCATION

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Satèn Franciacorta

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PHOTO GALLERY OF OUR EVENTS

NEW YORK

Indie Wineries National Portfolio Tasting on March 5th, 2019

NEW YORK

Portraits at Portfolio Tasting on March 7, 2017

NEW YORK

Work with on March 6th, 2017

NEW YORK

Portraits at Portfolio Tasting on March 8, 2016

NEW YORK

Portfolio Tasting on March 8, 2016

PHILADELPHIA

The Artisan's Cellar Tasting on March 7, 2016

NEW YORK

Franciacorta Seminar with Giovanni Arcari on July 8, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO

Portfolio Tasting on March 4, 2015

NEW YORK

Portfolio Tasting on March 2, 2015

IN THE PRESS

HUFFINGTON POST

Indie Wineries: Discovering Artisanal Wines Around the World

The SOMM Journal, January 2015

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