One word, three worlds
Say Franciacorta, and one’s mind races to visions that range from bucolic to glamour.
Franciacorta unites in one term a diversity of worlds: a growing area, a wine, a method.
A growing area: 3,000 hectares planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and a handful of hectares of the ancient native grape Erbamat, of which Ronco Calino is a dedicated grower.
Franciacorta, whether because of its felicitous combination of soils and climate, or thanks to its laborious ancient monks, has been a highly-respected winegrowing area since the 6th century and the Lombard settlements. An epochal change occurred in 1961, with the production of the first sparkling wine made by secondary fermentation. Then, in 1967 Franciacorta wine won DOC status, followed by the formation of the Consorzio per la Tutela del Franciacorta (Consortium for the Protection of Franciacorta) in 1990, and in 1995 the granting of DOCG status, as Italy’s only dry sparkling wine.
In just a little more than half a century, this vibrant, elegant elixir has succeeded in enchanting both old and new wine-lovers, critics indigenous and not, and ever more demanding wine-sector professionals. In addition to the exceptional-quality growing area, the reason for this success has been the ability of wine producers to impose on themselves significant production regulations, the world’s most rigorous for sparkling wine. They work together in a blend of passions, which is far more than the motto of the Consorzio: it is our everyday reality.
