Franciacorta and its bubbles

Tiny streams of bubbles kiss the rim and there’s a cool chalk scent in the air: Franciacorta stretches quietly between Iseo and Erbusco. Granted DOCG in 1995, it follows the classic method with lengthy lees aging, often beyond 24 months. Berlucchi in Borgonato, Ca’ del Bosco in Erbusco, and Barone Pizzini in Provaglio map three styles, from taut brut nature to structured vintage cuvées. From Brescia, it’s a 20–30 minute hop to morainic hills where south‑facing Monte Orfano plots taste riper than vineyards catching the lake breeze.

For the day, your dedicated chauffeur collects you at your Brescia hotel in a comfortable Mercedes and keeps the car at your disposal. Transfers between estates are seamless, bookings set yet flexible to match tasting pace. While you sample, he drives and waits, before a lunch overlooking Chardonnay rows near Adro. Distances are short—about 6 km between Erbusco and Corte Franca—so you can slip in San Pietro in Lamosa monastery or a quick loop to the southern shore of Lake Iseo.