Berlucchi

How Berlucchi invented Franciacorta

The history of Franciacorta cannot be told without starting with Berlucchi. In 1955, the Brescian landed nobleman Guido Berlucchi and the young oenologist Franco Ziliani founded the winery in Borgonato — at the time, it was a gamble based on the conviction that the hills south of Lake Iseo had what it took to produce a classic sparkling wine modeled after Champagne. In 1961, after long trials, they bottled the first 3,000 bottles of a Metodo Classico wine: the very first Franciacorta. The success was immediate — by the following vintage, production was expanded to 20,000 bottles. By 1967, when the region received DOC status, there were already eleven producers; Berlucchi accounted for more than 80 percent of total production at that time.

Today, Franco's children Cristina, Arturo, and Paolo lead the family business in the second generation — and have expanded it to around 4.5 million bottles annually without losing its family character. In 2022, Gambero Rosso named Berlucchi "Winery of the Year," noting that the house had written the history of the classic Método in Italy. To this day, Berlucchi's headquarters is the Palazzo Lana in Borgonato, a 16th-century Renaissance palace whose cellars form the heart of the vinification process.

515 hectares of organic farming and the Mille1Vigna project

With 515 hectares of certified organically farmed vineyards, Berlucchi is one of the largest estates in Franciacorta in terms of area. Since 2016, all vineyards have been working according to the principles of organic farming — a decision that is anything but a matter of course at this scale. The Mille1Vigna project goes even further: it maps every single plot of soil with Biopass analyses and systematically links the vineyards to their respective soil profiles — from the moraine soils directly at Lake Iseo to loamy high-altitude sites that are characteristic of the cool Brescian summer. The mild microclimate of the lake and the fresh katabatic winds from the Val Camonica ensure distinct day-night temperature differences, which build up acidity structure and aroma density in the grapes.

In the cellar, Berlucchi relies on the classic triad of the Metodo Classico: hand-picking, gentle pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks or wooden barrels, followed by the second bottle fermentation. The wines then mature on the lees in the historic cellars of the Palazzo Lana — at least 18 months for non-vintage cuvées, and sometimes significantly longer for prestige cuvées. After disgorgement, each bottle rests for another three months to a year before it leaves the house.

Three lines, one clear style: Franciacorta DOCG from the founding house

The range is divided into three clearly defined families. The Cuvée Imperiale — the oldest line, namesake of the first Franciacorta — stands for accessible elegance: creamy perlage, light brioche, yellow fruit. The 61 line, named after the founding year, takes more time on the lees and shows a stronger structure; the Satèn from this series, vinified exclusively from white grapes with reduced pressure, stands out due to its particularly silky texture. Finally, the Nature 61 line works without dosage or with minimal addition and is aimed at all those who want to experience the wine as close to the terroir as possible. A common foundation across all lines: Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco from bio-certified sites, bottle fermentation according to the classic method, long aging on the lees. Pairs well with: Risotto alla Milanese, grilled sea bass, creamy goat cheese, or — in the dosage-free versions — oysters and sashimi.