Franciacorta: Italy’s answer to stylish sparkling wine

The hilly region between Bergamo and Verona provides good aspects and a mild climate, due to the protection afforded by the nearby Alps. The location also instils the wines with amazing freshness, character, incredible minerality and pronounced structure. Basically, this configuration produces some of Italy’s finest sparkling wines. It is no mere accident that the local grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot noir. Or that the wines stored in cellars hewn out of the ground are made using the traditional method, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Imitation produces the best results, you might say. That’s certainly true, but there is no denying the fact that Franciacorta has done so skilfully, its talent matched only by the quality of its vineyard sites. These have the ability to deliver infinite nuance, and also imbue the wines with a longevity that is rarely encountered outside Champagne – to name names.

So why not let yourself be swept away by the landscapes and indulgent wines of Franciacorta. This is picture-postcard territory, packed full of what makes Italy what it is, a combination of the dolce vita and hard graft to produce delicious pours that are increasingly sought-after. From Satèn and Rosé to vintage, Reserva and wines with no dosage, they all have unsuspected qualities that we reveal in this issue. Don’t be surprised to find that they’ll soon be your go-to wines!

By Francesco Saverio Russo photographs - courtesy of the estates