{"id":1731,"date":"2026-08-19T09:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T09:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caminore.it\/territory\/franciacorta\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T08:43:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T08:43:20","slug":"franciacorta","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.caminore.it\/en\/territory\/franciacorta\/","title":{"rendered":"Franciacorta"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Franciacorta: what to see, what to do and
\nwhat to know about the wine<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Camignone, where we are, lies within the appellation: the vines you can see from our windows are Franciacorta DOCG vineyards<\/strong>, and the nearest winery is a minute’s drive away. This page is what we tell guests who arrive knowing only that ‘Franciacorta is all about the bubbles’ and leave three days later with a much clearer picture.<\/p>\n\n

Here you will find the area and its boundaries, the wine explained in practical terms and what is worth seeing even when you are not at a tasting.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Where is Franciacorta<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It is a band of moraine hills in the province of Brescia<\/strong>, enclosed by four natural boundaries that you can pick out even on a map: the River Oglio to the west, Lake Iseo to the north, the River Mella to the east and Monte Orfano to the south.<\/p>\n\n

Those hills are the debris left behind by an ancient glacier that flowed down from the Valle Camonica. It sounds like a detail from a geology textbook, but it explains everything: the resulting soil is gravelly and free-draining, which is exactly what Chardonnay and Pinot Noir need.<\/p>\n\n

The 19 municipalities of the appellation<\/strong> are Adro, Brescia, Capriolo, Cazzago San Martino, Cellatica, Coccaglio, Cologne, Corte Franca, Erbusco, Gussago, Iseo, Monticelli Brusati, Ome, Paderno Franciacorta, Paratico, Passirano, Provaglio d’Iseo, Rodengo Saiano and Rovato.<\/p>\n\n

Camignone is a village within the municipality of Passirano<\/strong>, right in the middle of the area: ten minutes from the wineries of Erbusco, a quarter of an hour from Iseo and twenty-five minutes from Brescia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Why is it called Franciacorta?<\/h2>\n\n

The most widely accepted explanation is that the name comes from the medieval Latin curtes francae<\/strong>: ‘free’ estates, meaning exempt from duties. They belonged to the monastic communities that, in the 11th and 12th centuries, drained this marshy land and planted the first vineyards, receiving tax privileges in return.<\/p>\n\n

The leading figures were the Cluniac monks<\/strong>, based at San Pietro in Lamosa above what is now the Torbiere del Sebino, and the Olivetan Benedictines of the Abbey of Rodengo Saiano. Both places can still be visited today, and both are a quarter of an hour from here: if you want to understand where everything else comes from, that is the place to start.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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One name for the land, the method and the wine<\/h2>\n\n

It is the only case of its kind in Italy. ‘Franciacorta’ refers not just to the area, but also to the production method and the wine that comes from it.<\/p>\n\n

The method is secondary fermentation in the bottle<\/strong>: the base wine is bottled with yeast and sugar, slowly ferments a second time in the cellar and rests on its lees for months or years. Only at the end is it disgorged to remove the sediment. Filtration is not permitted, and the grapes must be harvested by hand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Franciacorta wine styles<\/h2>\n
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Style<\/th>\nGrapes<\/th>\nMinimum time on lees<\/th>\nHow to enjoy it<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Franciacorta<\/strong><\/td>\nChardonnay and\/or Pinot Noir; Pinot Blanc up to 50%, Erbamat up to 10%<\/td>\n18 months<\/td>\nThe most versatile. As an aperitif or throughout a meal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sat\u00e8n<\/strong><\/td>\nWhite grapes only: Chardonnay (at least 50%) and Pinot Blanc. No Pinot Noir<\/td>\n24 months<\/td>\nFiner perlage and a softer mousse. Unique to Franciacorta.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ros\u00e9<\/strong><\/td>\nAt least 35% Pinot Noir, vinified as a ros\u00e9<\/td>\n24 months<\/td>\nMore body. Stands up to white meat and full-flavoured dishes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Millesimato<\/strong> (vintage)<\/td>\nAt least 85% of grapes from a single vintage, shown on the label<\/td>\n30 months<\/td>\nCaptures the character of a specific year.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Riserva<\/strong><\/td>\nA Millesimato with extended ageing<\/td>\n60 months<\/td>\nNot released until at least 67 months after the harvest.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Sat\u00e8n<\/strong> deserves a note of its own. It is the only style exclusive to Franciacorta: no other appellation in the world may use the name. The technical difference lies in the pressure, which is kept to a maximum of five atmospheres instead of the usual six, with a limit on the sugar added at bottling. On the palate, the result is creamy rather than crisp. It is only made as a Brut. If you are going to try just one to understand what makes this area different, make it this one.<\/p>\n\n

Erbamat<\/strong> is the latest development: a white grape variety native to the Brescia area, admitted to the production rules in 2017 at up to 10% of the blend. Its role is to make up for the loss of acidity caused by increasingly warm vintages. It still accounts for only a tiny share of the vineyards, but a few producers are working on it seriously. Ask about it at the winery: it is the question that shows you are not there by chance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Dosage levels, from driest to sweetest<\/h3>\n\n

After disgorgement, a small amount of sugar may be added (or not). This is the dosage, and it is the word on the label that really tells you what the wine will taste like in the glass. In order, from least to most sugar:<\/p>\n\n

Pas Dos\u00e9<\/strong> (also called Dosaggio Zero or Nature) \u2192 Extra Brut \u2192 Brut \u2192 Extra Dry \u2192 Sec or Dry \u2192 Demi-Sec<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Beware the trap: ‘Dry’<\/strong> does not mean dry. It is actually sweeter than Brut, and mixing the two up is the most common mistake people make when buying at the supermarket.<\/p>\n\n

Brut<\/strong> is the most widely produced style and the easiest to pair with food.<\/p>\n\n

How to read the label<\/h3>\n\n