Today I am writing to tell you about a wonderful experience I had a few days ago with Francesco... if you are in Milan with your boyfriend or friends, it is the perfect place for a quality aperitif... we had a really good time and can't wait to repeat it! But let's start in order... surely you know that Berlucchi has opened the Berlucchi Franciacorta Lounge on the third floor of Il Mercato del Duomo with access on the side of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele... well first of all a big thank you to Francesca di Berlucchi for inviting me! I'm listening to this preview right now... and I can't wait to go with my better half to the Blue Note in Milan to listen to the launch of their first record! I am a total music nerd... but I love music... and they are really good: they are Deborah Falanga and Rossella Cazzaniga, aka Deb & Rose! Listen and watch this video... it's irresistible! (I listen to it practically every day and can't wait to hear the CD)
And now... I suggest you play the video while reading the article to really experience my #BerlucchiFranciacortaExperience!
I had never heard of Deb & Rose... so I am even happier to have 'discovered' them at the Berlucchi Franciacorta Lounge in Milan. But let's start with the story...
Deb & Rose were playing between 7 and 10 p.m., at 7:30 p.m. we parked at the Diaz behind the Palazzo Reale... by the way, if you have to go to the centre of Milan I recommend it: it doesn't cost more than other car parks and you park practically next to the Duomo! We spent 9 € for 3 hours... if you think it's expensive, I'll tell you that I paid the same yesterday for a parking space in Burundi near the Chamber of Commerce in Brescia, which isn't even close to the centre of Brescia... I've always heard of people being discouraged from going to clubs in the centre of Milan because of parking, so I'm very happy to tell you about this very valid alternative!
When we get to Piazza Duomo, I confess: they may have written #BellaMilano on it... but the Christmas tree is uniquely sad! I have heard the people of Ravenna complain many times about the leaning tree in Piazza del Popolo... the one in Milan is straight, but it is really 'miserable'. But they are right: Piazza del Duomo in Milan at Christmas time is really beautiful! They lit up the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in a truly splendid way, a blaze of blue lights...
Let me show you the centre of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele where, in particular, my fiancé also looks very handsome with his Berlucchi shopper next to the Swarovski Christmas tree which is nothing short of stunning!!! (They should have asked Swarovski to do the tree in Piazza Duomo...)
But let's get down to business! We arrive in front of 'Il Mercato del Duomo', which is not at all a market as the name might suggest (I'm sorry but I think it was a rather unfortunate naming decision... we all imagine the word market to be a rather chaotic collection of cheap stalls that have nothing to do with the elegance of Jazz or Franciacorta... but this is certainly not Berlucchi's fault! The Franciacorta Lounge is on the third floor... they have done a really nice job with the decorations and the hanging tree is stunning. There are very comfortable escalators to reach it!
When we arrived at the entrance, a beautiful hostess welcomed us... and guided us to Piera Alberta, Berlucchi's Marketing Manager, and Andrea Bassi, CEO & Marketing Director of Listen Agency, who is in charge of launching the Berlucchi Franciacorta Lounge and who welcomed us with a toast. And, unbelievably, he is not from Romagna but from Lombardy/Pugliese! For us Romagnoli, who 2 out of 3 are called Bassi by surname (the other is surely called Montanari), it is almost unthinkable that Bassi exists in Puglia! What has conveyed most to me is the love for the quality offered by the Berlucchi Franciacorta Lounge... and I'll tell you... having experienced it, I can tell you that it is really worth it. I won't dwell here on an opinion of the Berlucchi '61 Brut and Rosé that I drank, which if I had to define point blank I would say pleasant and at the right temperature, but I do want to emphasise the preparation and service are of maniacal care. I particularly liked the waiter: as attentive to detail as to human contact, he added value to the evening. We tried two different tastings, I the Selezione Berlucchi '61 Rosé, glass paired with a triptych composed of octopus and potatoes, caponatina and smoked trout. The caponatina was delicious, the trout was of the highest quality, the octopus was very tender... too bad about the potatoes, which needed to be cooked a little more and which I would have complemented with a fine extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a Maldon salt... but these are details! Francesco tried a Berlucchi Selection '61 Satén, paired with a triptych of 15-month Parma Crudo, 20-month Parmigiano Reggiano and 'Bella di Cerignola' olives. That ham was unforgettable... perfect when cut, a unique meltiness... so much so that we ordered more!
The parmesan cheese was also of good quality, tender, fragrant and aromatic... the olives, on the other hand, I found good, but not up to the standard of ham or parmesan... to be improved! These two selections are offered at a price of €19 each, a more than competitive price in Milan's Piazza Duomo (I remember that right near the Duomo Market there are mostly cheap tourist snuffers...). In short, €19 is in my opinion the perfect price for a very well-prepared aperitif, with attentive service, top-quality music... and water, hot bread and focaccia to accompany it. I'm posting a detail of the 15 month Parma ham because I really think you can already sense the exceptional quality here... it really makes my mouth water 😉
In short... Francesco and I decided to go back soon! We saw the burrata go by... and some drool-worthy cheese selections... so next time I'm in Milan for work... I'll stop by, maybe with a few clients: definitely a great place to make a good impression for a company meeting, but even better to spend it with your special someone!
From what I've heard... a lot is brewing for the new year in terms of music and more... but I say, can't Berlucchi open a Franciacorta Lounge in Lovere too? I'd be there often, it would be perfect to live between a Franciacorta and a creamy, tasty ice cream from the Bar Centrale (an apparently super-touristy place... but in reality they make fantastic ice cream cups, and the ice cream on the walking cone is even better! 2 € for a corner of paradise, and it's plentiful too! Re-slurp!) Think about it! 😀 😀
The last compliment goes to the ingenious packaging of the glasses they kindly presented us with. Elegantly designed, they are set like jewels in a precious little box in Tiffany tones. This makes them the perfect gift for all #winelovers! That's communication, that's knowing how to sell the product! For me, as a wine marketer, it's a pleasure to see everything signed and cared for in every detail... so a professional applause to Berlucchi, good as always at branding and enhancing a product that deserves as much in form as in content. The Berlucchi Franciacorta Lounge is exactly that.
See you soon and good luck,
Chiara
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