Franciacorta

Franciacorta, like Champagne, refers to both the geographical region and the wine. Franciacorta was granted DOCG, the highest level of Italian wine classification, in 1995.

Franciacorta is produced using méthode champenoise and with the same grapes used in Champagne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc. The grapes are then harvested by hand, the wine fermented in wooden casks and then by law, the bottles are left for a minimum of 18 months.

There are only 7,000 acres in Franciacorta compared to 83,000 in Champagne and 113 winemakers compared to around 19,000 in Champagne.

From 1999 to 2009, sales of Franciacorta grew from 2.9 million to 6.7 million bottles.

So although Prosecco, Lambrusco and Spumante are the more well known sparkling wines from Italy, don’t forget about Franciacorta, known for its quality rather than quantity.

It can be enjoyed as an aperitif, but it also pairs well with a range of food, including risotto, chicken and pork.