Franciacorta

Franciacorta is a DOCG in Lombardy dedicated to making Sparkling Wines. Unlike other regions of Italy, the wines must be made using Metodo Classico method, as in Champagne. Typically the wines are made from the classic Champagne varieties of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus Pinot Bianco.

Whilst the wines are largely modelled on Champagne, there are some differences. The yields here are much smaller, a maximum of 10 tonnes per hectares, but typically will be around 6 tonnes. More importantly, the minimum time spent on the lees is 18 months compared to 15 for Champagne. All of this shows confidence in the quality of the grapes grown here, hence you will often see dosage levels much less than those typically found in Champagne: Brut Zero being commonly found here.

There are other style of wines produced: Satèn is the equivalent to Champagne's Blanc de Blancs; Vintage and Riservas styles are also produced with minimums of 24, 30 and 60 months on the lees respectively.

There are still wines made in the region, for a new DOC was created in the 1990s, Curtefranca. These are typically made from international varieties and not quite as remarkable as the glorious sparkling wines