Franciacorta
Franciacorta is a small wine region in Lombardy in Italy.
This region is known for the high-quality sparkling wines that are made here. The wines made in Franciacorta are very similar to Champagne.
Less known but the best?
This wine region is located in the province of Brescia. It lies in the hills south-east of Lake Iseo. Although the wine is relatively unknown, it is considered the best sparkling wine in Italy. In the first instance, this does not detract from the much better-known Moscato d’Asti and Prosecco. This wine is only much lighter and more accessible. The wines from Franciacorta stand much more for complexity and finesse.
Grapes and taste
The Méthode Champenoise is used to make the wines. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and small amounts of Pinot Blanc are used for this. In that sense, Franciacorta is the Italian answer to Champagne. The wines come out both with and without a year. A similar wine with blanc de blancs is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco. The characteristics of the wine are also very similar to champagne.
Franciacorta is not Champagne
There are also clear differences between Franciacorta and Champagne. The Italian variant has a much shorter history for 50 years. In addition, around 27,000 hectoliters of wine are made in Franciacorta. In comparison with 2,700,000 hectoliters of champagne, the size of the production cannot be compared. This makes the wine unique and special at the same time, which means that the price can also be substantial.
Curtefranca
Franciacorta also produces still wine under the name Curtefranca DOC. It concerns both red and white wines. Although the sparkling wines demand the most attention, the still wines are also worth it.
