The types of farming today found in Franciacorta, are historical evidence of the evolution of the vineyard and the cultivation technique that has occurred in this area, so suddenly, in the last 20 years.

Today different types of farming co-exist depending on the age of the plant. The old plants are raised in a high back form more or less modified and pergola. In the forms back to the sixth plant reaches 3 feet between pairs of plants. The pergola in the sixth form are from 4 to 4.5 meters between rows and 1 to 1.2 meters between individual plants.
The system has historically been the most widely used modified Sylvoz Miotto followed by the double pergola. Today, the most common form of farming is the low back, Guyot, cordon, with planting density in the range of 4000-5000 plants / ha.

The age of vines found in Franciacorta is variable, but are mainly vineyards dating back to three successive periods of development.
A first phase of planting has occurred in the years 1960 to 1970. Are signs of that in the last pergola plants, plant hours are restricted to a few vineyards, whose surface is disappearing because of the quality performance of these vineyards are no longer in line with existing performance targets of Franciacorta.
The second phase of the plant was built in the mid-70s, mid 80s. That was the era of choice driven by new needs of mechanization of field work and then opted for the types of farming in which the high back or Sylvoz Casarsa then changed Miotto. To date, there is still a good part of the vineyards invested in that way, and the production has been attributed to the quality standards required today with careful cultivation and evolved.
The third stage of formation of the Franciacorta vineyards where it is about the '90s. At that time you worked a definite shift towards more dense plants, with a number of plants per hectare at least 4000-5000 plants with reduced vegetative growth of vines and contained production strain. Since then the strategy of system has been consolidated into this trend, rising for experiences such extreme density of 10,000 vines per hectare.
Today it is not disputed that the quality factor of raisins for a limited production strain, the order of 1-1.5 up to 2 Kg.

TIME OF MATURITY AND HARVEST OF GRAPES

The harvest begins with the harvest of grapes at the base of Franciacorta. Around the middle of August, the grapes of the most precocious, their values ​​and acidic sugars suitable for the preparation of base wines fermented in the bottle that will be made to rise to the Franciacorta DOCG.
Thus began the collection of Chardonnay grapes by hand in small boxes of about 15-17 kg each. The soil and climate variability of Franciacorta distributes the beginning of the harvest in the different units pedopaesaggistiche a period of 8-10 days. So great is the difference in the ripening period between zones earlier and later areas of Franciacorta.
The harvest of grapes as a basis for the noble bubbles DOCG continues for about three weeks, going from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Pinot white. After about three weeks devoted to vintage DOCG, starts the harvest of the Terre di Franciacorta Curte Franca or white. This operation lasts about 15 days until they start to ripen red grapes. The earliest are the grapes of Merlot, followed by Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Barbera. All it usually in the first half of October, assuring, therefore, the Franciacorta, about two months of harvest.