Italy’s Franciacorta DOCG, located in the rolling hills south of Lake Iseo in the province of Brescia, arguably makes the best European sparkling wine outside Champagne itself. The Bellavista winery has played a critical role in transforming the region into one of Italy’s most famous DOCGs. The transformation process began over three decades ago when Proprietor Vittorio Moretti started making wine as a hobby. In 1984 he produced his first sparkling wine, and today he manages a 190 hectare wine estate comprised of 107 different, organically farmed vineyard parcels. As in Champagne, grapes from diverse parcels are blended together to create a house style that remains relatively constant over time.
Winemaker Mattia Vezzola uses the metodo clasico (similar to the methode champenoise) to produce several vintage and non-vintage sparkling wines. Non-vintage Franciacorta wines must spend 18 months on the lees in bottle, while vintage Franciacorta wines must spend a minimum of 30 months on the lees.
Italy’s Franciacorta DOCG, located in the rolling hills south of Lake Iseo in the province of Brescia, arguably makes the best European sparkling wine outside Champagne itself. The Bellavista winery has played a critical role in transforming the region into one of Italy’s most famous DOCGs. The transformation process began over three decades ago when Proprietor Vittorio Moretti started making wine as a hobby. In 1984 he produced his first sparkling wine, and today he manages a 190 hectare wine estate comprised of 107 different, organically farmed vineyard parcels. As in Champagne, grapes from diverse parcels are blended together to create a house style that remains relatively constant over time.
