Franciacorta: Italy’s Sparkling Wine Sensation

Photo courtesy: Mosnel

If you’re a fan of bubbles, when you think of Italy, you immediately think of Prosecco. But travel to the Lombardy region and you’ll find Franciacorta, Italy’s sparkling wine that rivals Champagne.

If Prosecco is your easy breezy brunch beverage, Franciacorta is what you should have in your glass as you raise a toast to a special occasion. Franciacorta is more complex and made in the méthode champenoise tradition, rendering a sparkling wine that is similar in structure, aromas and tastes to Champagne.  

Franciacorta received DOC designation for its wines in 1967, with its sparkling wines later earning the prestigious DOCG classification in 1995 - making it Italy's first sparkling wine to reach this highest quality tier. The region now has more than 120 producers.

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of tasting my way through the region. Near Lake Iseo and situated in a valley of the central Alps, Franciacorta’s location gives it a wine-friendly Mediterranean climate, and its clay, gravel, flint and limestone soils infuse the sparkling wine with its unique terroir. After my trip, I found myself seeking out Franciacorta back home and recently found two versions available in the United States.

Mosnel Brut

For five generations, the Barboglio family has produced stellar Franciacorta sparkling wines under the Mosnel label. The name is Celtic for stone heap and references the land on which the winery stands.

The expansive winery, located in the heart of Franciacorta, produces a range of bubbles, including the Brut N.V. This 100 percent Chardonnay-based sparkling wine underwent wood aging in the winery’s cellar, which dates back to the 1600s.

Like Champagne, Franciacorta can pair with almost anything, but I love this as an apero. It’s small bubbles dance with the aroma of jasmine, peach, vanilla and almond. The acidity perks up your palette as notes of dried fruit and almond tantalize on an especially long finish. The last thing I notice is an unexpected minerality and salinity.

Bonfadini NV Opera Rosé Sparkling

There’s something about a bottle of rosé sparkling that screams, “celebration” and “fun”. For me, the perfect pairing of the Bonfadini NV Opera Rosé Sparkling was enjoying it with a dear friend and a bubble fiend, whom I hadn’t seen in a year.

The 50-50 blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay gave the wine an intoxicating mix of aromas from berry to citrus fruit. On the palate, we tasted the same flavors, along with something we both struggled to name, finally deciding it was like walking into a pastry shop where the scent of an apple tart and almond croissant blended.

If you’d like to learn more about Franciacorta, check out my longer travel article on Wander with Wonder.