The Consortium

History

The Consortium was founded on 5 March 1990 in Corte Franca to guarantee and monitor compliance with the rules for producing Franciacorta wine. The name of the geographic region where its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc vines are grown is used to identify this wine, which is produced exclusively by the method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. In one word, Franciacorta describes an area, a production method and a wine.

Having moved to its present site at Erbusco in 1993, the Consorzio Franciacorta has about 200 members including wine growers, wine producers, bottlers and others involved in the production chain for the designations Franciacorta DOCG, Curtefranca DOC and Sebino IGT. Its distinctive logo with a castellated letter F distinguishes its wines and refers back to the ancient mediaeval towers that characterise 19 municipalities in the heart of Lombardy, by the shores of Lake Iseo: Adro, Brescia (part), Capriolo, Cazzago San Martino, Cellatica, Coccaglio, Cologne, Corte Franca, Erbusco, Gussago, Iseo, Monticelli Brusati, Ome, Paderno Franciacorta, Paratico, Passirano, Provaglio, Rodengo Saiano and Rovato,

A Brief History Great wines have been produced in the region of Franciacorta since the sixteenth century. A study carried out on the Napoleonic land register of 1809 certifies the existence of almost 1000 hectares of vines, which would have been well above the needs of the 40,000 inhabitants, and therefore clearly destined for sale. Its modern history began in 1961, with 11 producers, 29 hectares of vineyards and a production of 2000 hectolitres of Pinot di Franciacorta.

1967

Franciacorta is recognised as an area with Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) through a Presidential Decree.

5 March 1990

Creation of the Voluntary consortium for the protection of Franciacorta wines with 29 producers as members.

1991

The Technical Regulations for the Production of Franciacorta are approved in March and the Franciacorta brand is registered in Italy in November.

1993

New production regulations stipulate natural secondary fermentation in the bottle as the only accepted method of making the wine sparkle, and also remove the phrase Metodo classico (Classic method) and impose the requirement of a specific production area for the grapes.

1995

The consortium logo becomes the only identification of Franciacorta DOCG, the first Italian brut to obtain guaranteed recognition. In September of the same year, the Consortium approves the production regulations for Franciacorta DOCG.

1996

Approval of the winemaking code. These self-regulations represent an evolution of the technical-productive regulations, and are more restrictive than the product specification.

1 January 1997

The first bottles of Franciacorta with the DOCG band are sold.

2000

Two important Wine Culture initiatives are launched: the “Strada del Franciacorta” route, with the aim of promoting and developing Franciacorta’s potential as a tourist destination, and the “Franciacorta Festival”, an event that still takes place every September and involves the entire territory.

2002

According to the new Regulation EC 753/02, Franciacorta may be designated by the word “Franciacorta”, with nothing added, including the expression DOCG, because of the special fame it has achieved.

2003

The Decree appointing control duties for the DOC Terre di Franciacorta and for Franciacorta, better known as “Erga Omnes” is published in the Official Gazette in accordance with Ministerial Decree 29/5/2001. The Consortium for the protection of Franciacorta is one of the first consortia in Italy to apply this decree, in addition to the normal supervisory activities that have been in place since 2000.

30 December 2004

With the 2004 Decree on the regulation of the use of the term Talento by Italian VSQPRD and VSQ, and after a precise statement by the Consortium, Franciacorta DOCG is excluded from the right to use that term in its description and presentation. The ministerial decision expressly recognises the excellent quality and unique features of Franciacorta.

2007

A new section is created on the site www.franciacorta.net that provides more information about the wine than is found on the label, for greater transparency.

2008

New Regulations for Franciacorta DOCG, Curtefranca DOC (which replaces the term Terre di Franciacorta) and Sebino IGT are published in the Official Gazette.

2010

New restrictive directions are introduced in the Franciacorta Production Regulations, increasing the rigour of production to reach the highest quality and confirming the Franciacorta method as the strictest in the world for this type of wine.