Richard Geoffroy: “Italy is one of the top players in the world of bubbles, and it deserves respect”

“Italy is one of the main players, one of the top players in the world of bubbles. The Italian sparkling wine industry is very “smart”, it is increasingly important in the market because it is close to the aspirations and expectations of consumers. Italian sparkling wine is a very respectable industry”. Thoughts and words of Richard Geoffroy, guru of bubbles, among the world’s most important oenologists, for many years Chef de Cave of the absolute myth of Champagne, Dom Pérignon, and now in Bellavista, griffe of Franciacorta (Terra Moretti group), after the 2021 vintage, alongside Francesca Moretti (with the first bottles of this new era of Bellavista presented yesterday). Important words, are those of Geoffroy, a winemaker who knows the world, the markets, and for whom sparkling wine has no secrets. And who sees a bright future for bubbles (as indeed confirmed by all the economic analyses of the last few years, and also by projections on the future of consumption, which see reds in decline, and sparkling wines on the rise, as well as fresher and lighter white wines, ed.), and for Italian ones in particular: “the future of sparkling wines is bright, if there is a category that can emerge better from this difficult phase of the wine market, it is precisely that of sparkling wines. And Italy is one of the most established countries in the category, and the prospects and expectations are very very high. “The secret of sparkling wines (Italian and others) is simply “drinkability” because sparkling wines serve to bring and share joy and happiness”, Geoffroy goes on to explain, “they must be accessible at any level of quality, maintaining their “drinkability”, the simplicity with which they can be drunk”.
A general view on world and Italian sparkling wine, those of Geoffroy, which then falls perfectly in the path of Bellavista’s near future. “For me, Bellavista has the potential to become a leader in the world bubbly scenario. It’s all about raising the standards, giving a sharp stylistic turn to the wines, making them more “individual” in their style, and doing it year by year, never ceasing to experiment”. “I invite you to stay up to date”, said Richard Geoffroy, in the presentation of the first three cuvées (with a 2021 vintage base), which he signed (also on the back label) with Francesca Moretti, Alma Assemblage 1, Alma Rosé Assemblage 1, and Alma Non Dosato Assemblage 1. Explaining to WineNews, “we started with the basics, starting with the Alma “entry wine”, which we want to take to the highest level from the point of view of style and character, and now we are working on the Cuvèe Vittorio Moretti. There will be so much to discover for the next 2, 3 years. It is a complete project, from Alma to Vittorio Moretti”.
A long path, which comes from the systemization of a great “granularity,” which is also reflected in the vineyards. “You know the prestige that one has in working the vineyards and the wines. It is like a patchwork of work put together done on many different blocks that are handled individually and specifically. This represents a uniqueness in the world of bubbles.” And looking at Champagne and Franciacorta on the same level, at least in Bellavista’s declination, Richard Geoffroy explains, “they are two “premium” expressions of bubbles. Champagne expresses more complexity, “authoritativeness”, while Bellavista leverages more pleasure, joy, freshness, fruit. But they are two distinct expressions of the same category. I am a Champagne man, I have a family behind me that has been working in that area for eight generations, but I think that Franciacorta is a vocated territory, a world-class excellence, with a defined, recognizable identity, with unlimited skills and capacity for innovation: it does not, therefore, need to imitate other models. Francesca Moretti had this insight and together we worked to make Bellavista an original and unique expression of the place”.