In September every year winegrowers from the small wine region Franciacorta gather in eastern Lombardy, between Bergamo and Brescia, for the “Festival del Franciacorta”. To outsiders the festival might appear to be no more than a boozy works outing since all the vintners of course know one other and quite often one grower’s children will be working for a colleague a couple of miles down the road. But the festival is also the place where the producers publicly present their best sparkling wines.

Here you’ll see the big names of the business amiably chatting alongside small producers, with everyone busy discussing, gesticulating and laughing. And tasting – for two whole days in the beautiful courtyard of the Villa Lechi di Erbusco, at this event organized by the “Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta”, the regional association of winegrowers. And you do indeed need two days of tasting to do justice to the more than 100 different wines made by some 40 vineyards of the Franciacorta. And during all this, plates piled with cheese, sausage, bread and pastries are tirelessly served up: wine-tasting is a hungry business.

If you haven’t the time to drive down the 80-odd kilometres of the romantic “Strada del Vino Franciacorta” to get to know the multitude of vineyards, small villages, castellos and monasteries, the two days at the festival do at least offer the opportunity to form a first acquaintance with the different sparkling wines of the Franciacorta region. They can, after all, boast of a 400-year-old tradition and of having been served up at the 2001 wedding of the heir to the Norwegian throne Haakon Magnus to Mette-Merit, and during the visit of the queen of England to Italy.

In his book “Libellus de Vino Mordaci”, published in 1570, the doctor Girolamo Conforti from Brescia described in perfect detail the production of “wine with bubbles of air”. But even though sparkling wine was produced and drunk in the Franciacorta over the following centuries, all this time it still remained something of an inside tip. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the true potential of this region’s wines was recognized and production of sparkling wine fermented in the bottle in the traditional way (“à la méthode Champenoise”) was launched in big style. A pioneering role in this was played by the winery Fratelli Berlucchi from Borgonato di Corte Franca. In 1967 the state awarded the region’s still and sparkling wines the much sought-after classification “D.O.C.” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata = controlled indication of origin). In 1995 Franciacorta acquired an even more prestigious designation, “D.O.C.G.” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita = controlled and guaranteed indication of origin), which distinguishes Italy’s highest quality wines.

What is so special about Franciacorta D.O.C.G.? Straw yellow in colour with a gentle green lustre, the sparkling wine has a subtle but distinct yeasty taste with a lightly spiced trace of fruit. It has a natural alcohol content of no less than 11.5 % by volume. The sparkling wine may only be produced from the varietals Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and/or Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc). At least twenty-five months must pass between harvesting and selling, during which the wine has to ferment in the bottle for at least 18 months. For a vintage Franciacorta “Millesimato” a minimum of at least 37 months is stipulated for ageing after the harvest, of which thirty must be spent fermenting in the bottle with the fresh yeast culture, before it is sold. Millesimato is produced only in years when climatic conditions are especially good, and its label clearly states the year of harvest.

As with Champagne, between the various Franciacorta wines there are differences not only in taste but also in quality. These are best ascertained in the region itself, for instance at the next “Festival del Franciacorta”.

Detailed information about Franciacorta, the festival and vineyards, about still and sparkling wines, places to stay and package offers, about monasteries, castles and other sights, including the “Strada del Vino Franciacorta”, is available in Italian, English and German at: www.stradadelfranciacorta.it

How does Franciacorta taste?
Franciacorta comes in six different types of taste, from natural to demi-sec, depending how much wine and sugar syrup was added prior to corking:

Non dosato (no dosage, dosage zéro, natural): Exceptionally dry, outstanding character, refreshingly effervescent. Particularly suited as an aperitif.

Extra brut: Dry, ideal between courses and as an aperitif. Delicious with savoury pastries.

Brut: Dry and delicate, recommended to accompany oven-baked dishes and baked vegetables.

Extra Dry: Dry and refined, excellent with flavoursome soft cheeses and ice cream.

Sec: Dry, somewhat mellow, superb with strongly flavoured soft cheeses and ice cream.

Demi-sec: Gently sweet with a rich bouquet, smooth and velvety. Highly recommended with desserts.

Besides these there are two further Franciacorta specialities:

Franciacorta Satèn Brut: Beautifully balanced in aroma and taste, moussy and smooth. Goes especially well with oven-baked pasta dishes, light risotti and fish.

Franciacorta Rosé: White and red grapes are fermented separately and their berries very gently pressed. Its colour ranges from pale pink to ruby red. It is delicious with sweet pastries, as an aperitif, but also with cooked and roasted meats, with salamis and sausages.