Franciacorta (Italy)

Italian Franciacorta is produced the same way as French Champagne.

In Italy the production method is called Metodo Classico or Metodo Tradizionale.

Typical Flavors

Citrus

Apple

Pear

Strawberry

Fermentation Flavors

Butter

Yeast

Bread

Almonds

Oak Added Flavors

Oak

Vanilla

Toast

Nuts

Citrus, Apple, Pear, and Strawberry are typical Franciacorta flavors.

Fermentation added notes of Vanilla, Yeast and Almonds.

Oak added notes of Vanilla, Yeast, and Nuts.

Profile

Franciacorta has much the same profile as Champagne:

Dry

Medium

Medium

High

Serving temperatures:
10-12°C (50-54°F)

Food Pairing

You can drink Sparkling Wines to almost everything.

Whether it is French Champagne, Spanish Cava, or Italian Prosecco.

Aperitif

Salads

Tapas

Sandwitch

Seafood

Oysters

Salmon

Sushi

Fries

Chicken

Turkey

Pork

Egg Dishes

Pasta

Risotto

Soft Cheese

Sparkling Wines pair well with salt, because the bubbles break up the salt in the mouth.

Acidity and bubbles also pair well with rich food and creamy and oily dishes.

Pairing Suggestions

Excellent pairings:
Caesar Salad. Seafood Salad.
Hors-d'œuvre. Sandwich. Focaccia.
Tapas. Ham. Serrano. Prosciutto.
Seafood. Oysters. Clams.
Crab. Lobster. Caviar.
Cod. Tuna. Smoked Salmon.
Fried Chicken. Turkey. Pork.
Egg Dishes. Omelettte. Risotto.
Pasta. Ravioli. Macaroni with Cheese.
Asian Food. Springrolls.
Sushi. Sashimi.

Cheese:
Soft and Fresh Cheeses.
Brie. Camembert.
Feta. Chèvre. Fontina. Creamy Blue.
Washed-Rind. Chaource. Robiola.

French Spesialities:
Reims Ham in Reims Mustard.
Poulet au champagne (Chicken with Champagne).

Italian Specialities:
Fritto Misto di Pesce (Deep Fried Fish).
Risotto ai Frutti di Mare (Risooto with Seafood).
Risotto with Asparagus.
White Fish (Sea Bass) with Polenta.
Lasagne with White Sauce.

Franchacorta DOCG

Franciacorta is a DOCG since 1995. It was the first Italian area to obtain a DOCG for production of Metodo Classico wines:

Area: Brescia in Lombardy
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco.
Method: Metodo Classico

The production method is the same as for French Champagne (Méthode Champenois).

The minimum ageing ranges from 18 months to several years for Riservas.

Franciacorta tastes like Champagne, but it is less expensive, and needs less "dosage" (added sugar for the second fermentation), because the warmer climate gives the grapes a higher sugar content.

Méthode Champenoise

Méthode Champenoise is the method used to produce French Champagne.

With Méthode Champenoise (the production method of Champagne), the first fermentation takes place in a tank, and a second fermentation takes place in the bottle.

Adding CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) is not allowed.

The second fermentation starts by adding yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) and sugar to the bottle, and after about 1 year, the bubbles are completely developed.

The legend credit a Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon (1639-1715), for inventing sparkling wine when he bottled a wine before fermentation, but the oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux from 1531.

The method is used for:

French Champagne
French Crémant
Spanish Cava
Italian Franciacorta
German Sekt
Portuguese Espumante

Méthode Champenoise is now reserved (by EU) for wines produced in Champagne:

Country	Must Use
England	Traditional Method
France	Méthode Traditionnelle
Spain	Método Tradicional
Portugal	Método Tradicional
Italy	Metodo Classico Metodo Tradizionale
Germany	Klassische Flaschengärung

Italian Metodo Classico

Trentodoc DOC (1993) produces Metodo Classico wines with Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco. It was the first area in the world (after Champagne) to get a DOC for Metodo Classico wines.

Franciacorta DOCG (1995) is produced with a typical blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero.

Greco di Tufo is an Italian DOCG (2003) that produces Metodo Classico wines with Greco as the main grape.

Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico is an Italian DOCG (2007) with wines predominantly made from Pinot Nero.

Alta Langa DOCG (2011) with wines predominantly made from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero.

Sugar Levels

Regulation EC 607/2009	Sugar gram/litre	Calories /glass
Brut Nature (Brut Zero)	0-3	3
Extra Brut	0-6	5
Brut	0-12	7
Extra Dry (Extra Sec, Extra Seco)	12-17	10
Dry (Sec, Seco)	17-32	20
Demi (Semi)	32-50	30
Doux (Sweet, Dulce)	50+	30+

Lombardia (Lombardy)

Lombardia, in the north of Italy, is one of the richest regions in Europe.

The capital Milano is the largest metropolitan area in Italy with about 10 million inhabitants.

Lombardia is blessed with spectacular lakes: Como, Maggiore, Garda, and Iseo.

Lombardia has 5 DOCG Regions.