Put sparkling wine and Italy together and the usual answer is prosecco, but 200km west of the Veneto – the home of prosecco – lies another, little-known, sparkling wine region: Franciacorta. Wine has been made in the area for centuries but producers didn’t start making sparkling varieties until the 1960s. However, by 1995 this wine had been awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status, making it one of the most strictly regulated wines in the country.

Franciacorta wine is made in the same metodo classico (with a second fermentation in the bottle) as champagne and cava, so the bubbles are smaller and last longer than in prosecco or lambrusco. It is also made from similar grapes to champagne (chardonnay, pinot blanc), so it’s not surprising that the region is sometimes called Italy’s champagne. Yet the territory’s proximity to the Italian lakes, its silty soil and limestone bedrock make for a different, less yeasty flavour than champagne. Also, 70% of Franciacorta’s wine is organic.