The year is 1957. The post-war Baby Boom peaked. The Little Rock Nine bravely integrated into a segregated high school. A 5.7 magnitude earthquake rumbled across San Francisco. Across the Atlantic, situated on the lower bank of a lake, the vinification of Franciacorta sparkling wine had also just begun.
Franciacorta started off as a quiet moment in history. Franco Ziliani, a young winemaker, began experimenting with a new vinification process while working on the Berlucchi estate. Ziliani adopted a fermentation process unique to France, and in 1961 began selling Italy’s first sparkling wine that rivaled Champagne.
His innovation became Franciacorta as we know it today: a luxurious libation of delicate, effervescent bubbles. It’s heralded for its similarities to Champagne but maintains a distinct flavor palette you can’t find anywhere else in the world.
Plus, the Champagne region of France produces about 300 million bottles per year, while Franciacorta remains at 20 million, making this gem of the northern Italian wine region a location yet to be discovered by mainstream wine lovers.
What is Franciacorta Sparkling Wine?
Franciacorta is a variety of Italian sparkling wine produced within the country’s northern region. The area where it’s produced is small in scale compared to other popular wine regions, only about eight square miles, though what it lacks in size, Franciacorta makes up for in complexity.
Wine enthusiasts get excited over the distinctive geographical and climate differences that set Franciacorta apart from other regions. History buffs love the area for its rich heritage of wine-making that dates back to the 13th century, long before Franciacorta earned its name.
And those who imbibe only the best will appreciate that Franciacorta wine is produced under one of the strictest vinification standards in the world.
Franciacorta is Equal Parts Nature and Nurture
Franciacorta wine combines a unique mix of grape varieties, terroir, traditional winemaking methods, strict regulations, and a focus on quality and sustainability, Michele Bozza, President at La Montina, claimed.
Although Italy is known for its mild, Mediterranean weather, Franciacorta’s fortuitous sub-Alpine location next to Lake Iseo allows for a colder climate with a breeze that effectively cools the grapes as they grow in the summer.
After the harvesting period, grapes are pressed and aged using the classic method developed by Ziliani. The classic method requires two fermentation periods and a whole lot of patience. From the beginning of harvest until the day you can finally pop a bottle open, Franciacorta’s vinification process lasts nearly two years.
How is Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Made?
Franciacorta wines are crafted using a method over half a century old and involve a secondary fermentation that takes place directly in the bottle. This results in a finer and more persistent effervescence, contributing to the wine’s overall quality.
Bozza of La Montina reports, “Each Franciacorta undergoes a unique natural fermentation within itself. Every bottle is an unrepeatable experience.”
This second fermentation is a process distinctive to Franciacorta and Champagne, setting these two sparkling wines apart from other related libations.
Also heralding from Italy are Spumante or Prosecco, though these options don’t come close to the lively, crisp bubbles produced in Franciacorta. Trying a bottle is understanding the value of the whole painstaking process.
“Each Franciacorta undergoes a unique natural fermentation within itself. Every bottle is an unrepeatable experience.”
How to Visit the Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Region in Northern Italy
I woke up one day in the middle of August, promptly jumped out of bed, and bypassed the neck stretches that are increasingly necessary in my thirties. I was so thrilled this particular morning because I had scheduled a tour of Franciacorta that morning with Travel Local.
The business model of Travel Local is perfect in its simplicity: match a visitor with a local, and let the local be the guide.
Waiting outside of my apartment in Brescia was Roberto, a lifelong Franciacorta resident and liaison for Travel Local. We cruised through the rolling hills and grape fields in his comfy BMW 5 Series while he gave me first-hand knowledge of the area.
What to Do in the Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Region
Getting to know the Franciacorta wine region is a two-step process. The first step is to arrange a knowledgeable guide who knows their way around the area. While the area is small, there are over a hundred wineries packed into Franciacorta to choose from. Planning a trip with a professional guide can help you explore the best of the best during your stay.
The second step is why we all come to Franciacorta: to drink some wine! Each winery has to follow strict production guidelines to ensure quality, so rest assured, wherever you choose to go will be an authentic experience.
La Montina
La Montina is a boutique winery in the extreme north of Franciacorta, a location that echoes the simple beauties of bucolic Italy. The roads leading to the winery are unpaved, and the foothills cap at higher peaks.
However, the allure of La Montina doesn’t simply attract wine enthusiasts and romantics. The estate is also home to a contemporary art museum open to the public at regular exhibit hours.
Antica Fratta
Nicknamed “the great canteen,” Antica Fratta is an enduring fixture of Franciacorta and is defined by its ancient underground tunnels. Those tunnels, carved five hundred years ago, are still in use to this day, where 800,000 bottles of wine rest in the natural stone-enclosed spaces. Plus, the owners of Antica Fratta are the descendants of Franco Ziliani, the father of Franciacorta.
“Bubbles are for celebration,” Cristina Ziliani, owner of the Antica Fratta, told me while we sipped this bottle of Franciacorta sparkling wine on the second floor of the family villa.
Ferghettina
From harvest to bottling, Ferghettina takes painstaking care in its production of wine. They examine each grape for perfection and estimate that only 65% of the grapes are used. Then, Ferghettina wine goes into their infamous square bottle.
Beyond the marketing of a unique bottle shape, the design (patented by a family member) is meant to increase the fermentation inside the bottle.
Barone Pizzini
What’s better than a glass of refreshing wine? A refreshing wine that’s 100% organic. Barone Pizzini has been in the farming and wine-making business since 1870 and was the first to specialize in organic Franciacorta sparkling wine.
The Pizzini’s are a family who live and breathe wine. The act of nurturing Franciacorta takes place here, where vintners have established production practices that foster a deep respect and connection to the territory.
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Where to Stay in Franciacorta
The Franciacorta territory is located within the lake region of northern Italy, so you may already know that there are several prominent cities within driving distance.
You have Brescia, Bergamo, and Milan all between one and two hours away. There is no shortage of wine hotels in the area, though if you want a particularly diverse experience, I suggest Al Rocol.
The Al Rocol estate is a family affair, with siblings who manage the business and parents who operate the restaurant. Their accommodations will give you a farmhouse feel (think: exposed wood beams and starry nights) while still enjoying modern amenities so you’re not totally “off the grid.”
Agritourism trips are unique, unlike your typical hotel stay. You wake up on the premises and can easily fill your days with cooking and wine education courses, estate tours, or simply meandering through the seemingly endless grape fields.
When to Visit the Franciacorta Sparkling Wine Region
Gianluigi Castellini, the operator of Al Rocol, suggests visiting Franciacorta during the autumn months. “People can visit wine cellars, but also because people have the chance to see a landscape which is full of colors, inspiring warm emotion.”
Plus, this is around the time that harvesting takes place. If you time your trip correctly, you might get lucky and see employees speeding through the field aisles to pick the best grapes. Keep in mind that because the temperature is increasing and the weather is more volatile, the harvesting period tends to occur in August.
Visitors in September can’t miss the Cantina Festival, which is a bit like Franciacorta’s version of a sagre, a harvest festival. It’s a week-long celebration that takes place throughout the region when wineries open their doors for public wine tastings, live music, and exhibitions. Up to 65 wineries participate in multiple events throughout the week.
