Here, vines heavy with chardonnay, pinot nero, and pinot bianco grapes yield Italy’s most delicate sparkling wine, the namesake Franciacorta. With a second fermentation process similar to that of Champagne, Franciacorta is drier, yeastier, and more complex than Italy’s better-known bubbly, prosecco. Yet unlike France’s Champagne or Italy’s own Tuscany, the Franciacorta region is, in wine years, young; the first bottle of sparkler was corked in 1961. Perhaps because of its relative new-kid status, there’s a refreshing casualness to its wineries.
Source: A Guide to Franciacorta, Italy’s Most Chill Wine Region