Franciacorta

Franciacorta is a dry, traditional-method sparkling wine from Lombardy in northern Italy, made mainly from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Expect lemon, green apple and pear with brioche, toast and almond notes from bottle ageing. Fine, elegant and seriously food-friendly, it’s brilliant with seafood, sushi, fried food, risotto, roast chicken and Parmesan.

Taste:

Italian bubbles with their serious clothes on.

Franciacorta is typically dry, with fine bubbles, fresh acidity and flavours of lemon, green apple and pear. Depending on the blend and ageing, you may also find white peach, flowers and subtle mineral notes.

The second fermentation happens inside the bottle, followed by ageing on the lees. That brings richer flavours of brioche, bread, biscuit, toast and nuts into the mix.

Longer-aged examples can become creamier and more complex, developing honeyed, baked-fruit and savoury flavours while retaining plenty of freshness.

If Prosecco is the spontaneous “shall we get another bottle?”, Franciacorta has made the reservation.

Food Pairings:

Franciacorta’s bubbles and acidity make it brilliant across an entire meal.

For seafood, try oysters, prawns, crab, scallops, lobster, mussels or smoked salmon. Sushi and sashimi are excellent matches too.

Fried food works beautifully, with the bubbles cutting through the richness of calamari, arancini, tempura and fried chicken.

For Italian food, pair it with seafood risotto, mushroom risotto, Parmesan risotto, antipasti or prosciutto.

Richer styles can handle roast chicken, roast turkey, mushroom dishes and creamy pasta.

For cheese, Parmesan is an excellent choice, alongside Brie, Camembert and other creamy or nutty styles.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Franciacorta, Champagne is the obvious next stop, sharing the traditional method and several of the same key grapes.

English Sparkling Wine offers another cool-climate expression often based on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while Crémant explores traditional-method French sparkling wine outside Champagne.

Cava is also worth exploring if fine bubbles, refreshing acidity and savoury lees-aged flavours are your thing.

Enjoyed this one? Give it a heart and we'll use your favourites to recommend other wines we think you'll love.

More About Franciacorta:

Franciacorta comes from a relatively small wine region in Lombardy, close to Lake Iseo in northern Italy, and has DOCG status.

The wine must undergo its second fermentation in the bottle – the traditional method – followed by minimum periods of ageing on the lees before release.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are key grapes, alongside Pinot Blanc, while the indigenous Erbamat variety is also permitted in limited proportions.

You'll see styles including Satèn, a softer, creamier sparkling wine with lower pressure, and Rosé, as well as vintage and longer-aged Riserva wines.

Italy already had one globally famous sparkling wine and apparently decided that wasn't enough.

Fair.