From September 18th to 20th the Franciacorta Festival in Cantina invites you to enter the places where you are born
one of the best-known Classical Method in Italy. But among vineyards, abbeys, historic homes, small
villages and Lake Iseo, the journey continues well beyond the chalice.
Three days during which member companies open their doors to visitors and enthusiasts with
tastings, visits, vineyard tours and gastronomic experiences. It would be easy to tell
like a big weekend dedicated to bubbles. But it would also be reductive. Because the real
interest of these days consists in the possibility of seeing what exists around the bottle.
First the territory
Franciacorta is today a name immediately associated with wine. Yet his story begins
long before the contemporary affirmation of the Classical Method. The territory extends into the
province of Brescia, south of Lake Iseo, within a landscape shaped by ancient
presence of glaciers. Moraines, hills and different soil compositions have created a
particularly complex geography. The vine has been present here for centuries. Medieval documents
testify to the importance of agriculture and wine production well before the word
Franciacorta became synonymous with the bubbles we know today. The origin of the name too
refers to the Middle Ages. The generally accepted explanation connects it to the “curtes francae”,
communities or courts exempted from certain taxes in relation to the presence and work of institutions
monastic. It is a trace that says a lot about the territory: monasteries, agriculture and organization
of the campaign helped build its history.
The revolution of the twentieth century
Contemporary Franciacorta was born much later, however. The decisive step takes place in the
second half of the twentieth century, when some producers understand the potential of the area for
the production of refermented wines in bottles. In 1961 the first bottles were produced which
They symbolically mark the beginning of the modern history of Franciacorta bubbles. Within a few
decades the territory changes reputation. What was a geographical name known above all
locally it enters the vocabulary of Italian and international wine enthusiasts. In 1967 comes
the recognition of DOC. In 1995 Franciacorta obtained the DOCG. It’s a passage
important not only from a regulatory point of view. It marks the will to build a
denomination strongly identified with its territory and with a precise production method.
Don’t just call it sparkling wine
One of Franciacorta’s cultural battles was precisely this: to affirm the name of the
denomination as the identity of the wine. Franciacorta simultaneously indicates territory, method
and product. The grapes are harvested, pressed and vinified to obtain the basic wines. After the eventual
assembly, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Long periods of
aging on the yeasts, riddling, disgorging and dosing. It’s the Classical Method we have
told on our previous trip. But when you enter a cellar in Franciacorta the
theory immediately becomes concrete. Thousands of bottles rest in environments where
temperature and silence seem to suspend time. Some will remain there for years before
arrive on the market.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the other protagonists
The Franciacortino vineyard is mainly linked to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The disciplinary
It also allows Pinot Blanc within certain limits and Erbamat, a native grape variety recovered
in recent years and particularly interesting also for its natural acidity. From these grapes
different interpretations arise. Franciacorta, Satèn, Rosé, vintage and Reserves tell styles
and different refinement times. The Satèn occupies a particular place in the identity of the
name. Lower pressure than other types produces a more
soft and creamy on the palate. The name itself recalls satin, satin. Rosé brings Pinot instead
Black in a central position. Then come the thousandths, mainly linked to a specific
vintage, and the Reserves, for which time becomes even more important.
September, the right time to arrive
Visiting Franciacorta in September means meeting a region at the height of the year
winemaking. The harvest may still be in progress or have just ended according to the
variety, areas and trend of the year. The cellars work. Vineyards are changing.
In the air remains that particular sensation that accompanies every wine territory when
the grapes finally pass from the plant to the cellar. The Franciacorta Festival in Cantina was born right away
inside this atmosphere. It is therefore not just a succession of tastings. It is the occasion for
observe a territory as it builds its new vintage.
Enter the cellar
The most interesting part of the festival often begins when you go underground. The cellars
of Franciacorta are extremely different from each other. There are historic companies housed in buildings
ancient and realities in which contemporary architecture dialogues with the landscape. There are small
internationally known manufacturers and companies. This diversity is an advantage for the
visitor. It allows us to understand that a name does not coincide with a single style
corporate. Behind the same word there are different families, productive philosophies and interpretations.
A well-done visit should go beyond the final tasting. One should see the places of
pressing, understand how cuvées are built, observe the bottles during refinement and
get explained why a particular parcel is used in a certain way. That’s where the wine
it stops being just a flavor.
The 2026 festival
The 2026 edition of the Franciacorta Festival in Cantina will take place from September 18th to 20th. For three days
the territory offers visits to companies, tastings and initiatives related to wine, gastronomy and
discovering Franciacorta. The formula allows the public to build their own itinerary
choosing the wineries and experiences available. And that is precisely the best way to deal with
the festival: don’t try to see everything. It would be impossible and, above all, useless. Two or three visits
well chosen in a day allow you to understand much more than a race between tastings.
Booking in advance is essential for initiatives that require it. Equally important is
organize travel responsibly, especially when it is planned
tastings. Wine must be a reason to know the territory, not a problem on the
return road.
A Franciacorta without a car
One of the most interesting evolutions of wine tourism concerns precisely the attempt to make
the least car-dependent experience. Bicycle, e-bikes, organized routes and services of
transportation can turn the visit into something more pleasant and safe. Franciacorta, for
size and characteristics of the landscape, it lends itself particularly well to cycle touring itineraries.
Cycling through vineyards completely changes the perception of distances. You can smell the smells of the
countryside, you notice the variations in the terrain and you notice details that from the window of
a car disappears. It is also a way to connect wineries, villages and cultural places without
transform the journey into a simple succession of tastings.
The monastery that tells the story of the Middle Ages
Among the places to include in the trip is the Monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa, in Provaglio d’Iseo.
It stands near the Sebino peat bogs and represents one of the most historic testimonies
interesting from the area. His story is linked to the Cluniac presence and religious history and
agricultural of the territory. Stopping here allows us to understand how much Franciacorta existed
long before contemporary Franciacorta vinicola. It is an important consideration. The
success of the bubbles has given the area extraordinary visibility, but what makes
interesting the journey is the previous stratification: monasteries, parish churches, castles, mansions and small
centers tell centuries of history that wine today helps bring back to attention.
The Sebino Peat Bogs
Not far away the landscape changes again. The Sebino Peat Bogs Nature Reserve is one
of the most significant naturalistic environments in the area. Mirrors of water, reed beds and paths
allow you to cross a completely different ecosystem from the surrounding vineyards. He is one of the
places that demonstrate why talking about Franciacorta only as a wine destination is
limiting. Within a few kilometers you go from the cellar to a very valuable wetland area
naturalistic and then to the lake. For those who build a weekend, this concentration is an advantage
huge.
Lake Iseo behind the vineyards
Lake Iseo represents almost the fifth natural scenic spot in Franciacorta. Arriving
towards Iseo, the landscape suddenly opens onto the water. The village is worth a walk
without a plan: the lakeside, the squares, the alleys of the center. Then there is Monte Isola, the large island
which emerges in the center of the lake and which can be reached by boat. Here the pace changes again.
Small inhabited areas, paths and panoramas build an experience that seems far from the
wineries visited a few hours earlier. It is this closeness between different worlds that makes Franciacorta
particularly suitable for a multi-day trip.
Borgonato, Erbusco, Adro, Corte Franca
The names of the municipalities become familiar as you travel through the territory. Erbusco is one of the hearts of the
name. Adro, Corte Franca, Cazzago San Martino, Passirano, Provaglio d’Iseo and the others
centers build a geography in which wineries are inserted into everyday life. Not
we are in front of a wine theme park. There are schools, houses, companies, roads traveled every
day from those who live here. It is important to remember this especially during a big event. Wine tourism
it works when it can live with the territory rather than occupy it.
The castle among the vineyards
Among the most evocative images is Bornato Castle, a complex in which history, architecture and
viticulture coexist. It is one of several examples of the presence of historic homes in the
Franciacorta. Castles, palaces and villas recall how this area has been a place of
residence and agriculture. Some cellars have also recovered historic buildings, transforming the
visit on a route that simultaneously passes through production and architectural heritage.
It is an element that distinguishes the Italian wine experience: very often the winery is not isolated
from history. She’s literally built into it.
At the table, without forgetting the territory
Then of course comes the food. The Festival is also an opportunity to connect bubbles
with local gastronomy. The proximity to Lake Iseo brings lake fish to the table. The kitchen
Bresciana offers cured meats, cheeses, stuffed pastas, meats, and traditional preparations. Among the products
most representative of the Sebina area is the traditional dried sardine of the lake, bound in
particular in Monte Isola. In the surrounding area there is no shortage of cheeses and agricultural products that allow
to build deeply territorial tastings. It is important because the risk of a
a very famous wine destination is that the wine ends up obscuring everything else.
The most interesting Franciacorta is the one that manages to make the chalice dialogue with what is born
environment.
Brescia is just a few kilometers away
Those arriving from outside the region should also consider Brescia as part of their trip. The center
historical preserves an extraordinary archaeological and monumental heritage. The San complex
Salvatore and Santa Giulia and the archaeological area of the Capitolium tell the historical depth of the
city. Piazza della Loggia, Piazza Paolo VI and the castle complete an itinerary that can
transform a wine weekend into a true cultural journey. Once again the force emerges
of the geographical position of Franciacorta: in a relatively compact territory it is possible
put together wine, art, nature and lake.
Wine as the driving force of the territory
The success of Franciacorta also represents an interesting case from the point of view
economic. A product strongly identified with its origin helped to make
the entire area is recognizable. The bottle bore the name Franciacorta in wine shops and
Italian and international restaurants. From there a reverse path was born. The consumer has known the
wine and later looked for the place. It is one of the most effective mechanisms of Made in Italy
territorial. A product becomes an ambassador for its geography. When the system works,
value does not remain confined to the cellar. It is distributed on catering, hospitality, services,
trade, cultural heritage and tourism.
But success must be governed
More visitors, however, also means greater responsibility. Italian wine tourism destinations
are facing a phase in which the quality of reception becomes as important as
that of the product. It’s not enough to open the cellar doors. Organization, reservations needed
efficient, staff capable of telling, connections, services and attention to sustainability.
Above all, it must be avoided that the territory becomes a scenography built exclusively for the
visitor. Franciacorta faces the same challenge as many successful Italian areas: growing
without losing one’s measure.
Three days, but the journey can take much longer
The Franciacorta Festival in Cantina lasts three days. The territory, of course, remains. Is this perhaps
the most interesting message for those arriving from September 18th to 20th. The festival can be the door
entry point, not necessarily the point of arrival. You can return in autumn, when the vineyards
they change color. In spring, when the campaign starts again. In winter, when the cellars
they become even quieter. Wine has a seasonality that can also become
seasonality of the trip.
When the chalice tells a place
At the end of the visit inevitably comes the time for tasting. The wine is poured. The
bubbles rise in the glass. But after walking among the rows, I saw the bottles rest in
cellar, met those who produce and observed the hills, that chalice is no longer exactly the same
that we would have drunk elsewhere. He acquired coordinates. We know where it is born. We saw the
distance between the vineyard and the lake. We crossed the countries. We have understood how long it is
remained in the cellar. This is the most authentic value of wine tourism. Don’t drink more. Understand better.
From September 18th to 20th, Franciacorta opens its cellars. It’s worth getting into. But once
come out, you have to keep looking around. Because the most interesting part of a great
Italian sparkling wine, sometimes, it is precisely the territory that remains outside the glass.
