Hunting in Italy: The hunting experience in Franciacorta hunting hares, wild boars and delicious bubbles ..
You say Franciacorta and think of good drinking and good food, but in fact in rare cases it is known precisely where Franciacorta is really located. The answer is simple: it is a hilly area between Brescia and the southernmost tip of Lake Iseo. I only recently discovered it when Vittorio offered me a trip to the deck of good wine and good hunting. Being an infallible association how could I say no?
On the other hand, he took care of all the details, and even provided for the participation in our trip of their respective spouses and children! In short, a family adventure that I remember with great pleasure. The area has a truly surprising sparkling wine vocation and the territory is rich in woods and vineyards, so much so that I imagine many of the area have had the opportunity to hunt hares and who knows what else scattered among ancient rows. During a tasting I even discovered the reason for the name of the area, which I confess to you, intrigued me a lot.
It seems to be traced back to the term “Curtes Francae” and specifically to the small communities of Benedictine monks who lived in the hilly area not far from Lake Iseo throughout the Middle Ages. These were exempt from paying duties to both the bishop and the local lords and could comfortably transport their goods to other states and possessions: needless to say this advantage made many of these communities rich and extremely productive.
One thing leads to another and today Franciacorta bubbles can boast the DOCG mark so that the name “Franciacorta” has become worldwide synonymous with locally produced sparkling wine. Of course I did not taste exclusively bubbles, which are really delicious, but I tried my hand at the tasting of the “Terre di Franciacorta” DOC, a still wine available in both white and red variants.
At this point you will wonder where we found the time to devote ourselves to hunting. Well when it comes to passions, time is always found and in the company of Anselmo (Vittorio's cousin) we ventured into hunting hare but also (albeit less frequently) hunting wild boar. Personally I found the thrill of hunting in contact with the hare more satisfying, shrewd, quick and quick. The wild boar hunt is far too long and structured and the emotion is concentrated in a few moments that must be well constructed.
On the other hand, the land to hunt hare is certainly not lacking and Anselmo knew many five-star places: the estate of one of his relatives, practically lost in thin air, was the master. We reached the place very early in the morning, left our things in a beautiful country house and headed for the family vineyards in the resting phase. Anselmo made us a square head talking about the right gun: the hare, on the other hand, is a creature that deserves a lot of attention. You must have the right hound on hand, know the best stakes, or be willing to take long walks, but the effort is well placed.
If you want to hunt from the sketch, according to what Anselmo recounted, the advice is to bring a light rifle with you: in that case the problem can only be that of the hare's escape between the fields of the fields that often allow it to escape. to the body, good for her. So go for a light shotgun but also easy to handle and with barrels not too choked. For example, the side-by-side shotgun with 12 or 20 gauge, or the over-and-under can work well. On the other hand, when you prefer post hunting, it is good to have a semi-automatic as long shots are often required.
In short, before the start of the hunting day we and our dogs were well analyzed by Anselmo and passed the check we left for a wonderfully relaxing morning that ended in front of an excellent lunch and a great fire. The wine and sparkling wine certainly could not be missing.
A trip that I recommend organizing: if you don't know anyone in the area, entrust yourself to some hunting agency; you will be able to get to know a rich territory and naturally made in Italy wines of excellence. Upon returning to the hood we had more wines than hares and wild boars, but the hunt was truly rewarding!