Franciacorta

The name given to this important wine area has a controversial origin and there are many hypotheses and legends about its meaning. The most probable hypothesis comes from the Franchae Curtes, i.e. Corte Franca, cities and towns which were under the protection of the Benedictine monks and which obtained exemption from paying taxes. However, there are also other hypotheses about the origin of the name Franciacorta, some of which are legendary - such as the name of "Little France" given by Charlemagne, as well as the cry "French out!" of the people in revolt against the occupation of Charles of Anjou - or derived from local expressions to underline the not exactly prosperous conditions of the people "a curt de franc", i.e. "short of money". In the historical documents of this place the first mention of the name Franzacurta dates back to 1277, and since then it was already an important area for the production of wines. However, the success of the precious and noble bubbles of Franciacorta is a fact of recent history. It all began in the late 1950s when a young winemaker, Franco Ziliani, conducted his first experiments in the famous cellars of Guido Berlucchi. In 1958 Franco Ziliani, after a few attempts, without ever having been in French Champagne, succeeds in making sparkling wines, using the technique of refermentation in the bottle, thanks to the techniques learned during the lessons he attended at school. Together with Guido Berlucchi they succeeded in the production of this sparkling wine which caused a sensation and began to be drunk throughout Italy! Today Franciacorta is a name that has established itself over time and a seal of quality!