Collection: Lombardy: Castello Bonomi

What is Franciacorta?
Franciacorta is located in Lombardy, in the proximity of Lake Iseo. The name "Franciacorta”has its roots in the Middle Ages, when these lands were exempted ("francae") from taxes (curtes), to encourage farming.

Franciacorta produced one of the world's first books on naturally bottle fermented winemaking techniques and their effects on the human body. Printed in Italy in 1570, the book was written by Brescia doctor Girolamo Conforti and significantly entitled Libellus de vino mordaci. This doctor, whose studies preceded those of Dom Perignon, illustrates the widespread dissemination and consumption of wines with bubbles at the time, wines which he called "mordaci", i.e. lively and frothy.

Nowadays, Franciacorta is the best known region for sparkling wine in Italy, It is the first Italian area and wine made with a second fermentation in the bottle to acieve DOCG status and aging requirements are similar, sometimes even exceeding those in Champagne.

What is special about Franciacorta?
With warmer growing conditions than Champagne, there is more fruit concentration in Franciacorta. The region's moraine soil (left behind by moving glaciers in ancient times) also gave the wine an unique salinity and sapidity. The main grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and local grape Erbamat,

Who is Castello Bonomi?
Awarded by the Italian Sommelier Association as the "Best Winery in Lombardy" in 2017, Castello Bonomi is widely regarded as the reference point of Franciacorta. All wines are made from free-run juice and organic certified.