Franciacorta is the name of an Italian viticulture region located east of Milan, south of Lake Iseo, about an hour’s drive away. In the stream of other Italian sparkling wines like Prosecco, one rarely hears about Franciacorta outside of Italy. But Franciacorta’s success has been unstoppable as production has more than doubled in the last decade.
Traditional white and red wines were pressed for a long time in Franciacorta until the Berlucchi winery launched the first official Franciacorta sparkling wine in 1961. It is produced like Champagne, that is, by second fermentation in the bottle and with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varieties permitted in Champagne. Milan gastronomy was so enthusiastic about the new Franciacorta sparkling wines that the wines were an instant success.
Franciacorta is an attractive alternative to champagne.
The warm climate creates ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen, while the cooling effects from the Alps and the nearby Lake Iseo ensure that acidity is retained, which is crucial for sparkling wines. The Franciacorta viticulture region has also focused on organic agriculture for many years. Today, three-quarters of all wineries are certified organic, which is reflected in the high quality of the wines.
Similar to champagne, Franciacorta also has different styles. Non-aged wines are stored for at least 18 months on fine lees and at least 24 months on Satèn. In addition, Satèn Franciacorta consists only of white grapes. In addition to Rosé, Franciacorta is also available as an old wine, Millesimato or Riserva, that has been stored in fine sediments for at least five years.
Franciacorta often smells of ripe apples and peaches and exhibits the biscuit and yeast flavors typical of traditional sparkling wines. The wines are so popular due to their good price-performance ratio that about 90 percent of all production is sold in Italy and is mainly served in the hospitality industry. The largest export country for Franciacorta is Switzerland, followed by Japan and Germany.