Location
Corte Franca
Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardia, Italy
Farming
Sustainable (Integrated)
Integrated pest management — reduced chemical inputs, environmentally conscious viticulture.
Established
1961
Annual Production
~4M bottles/year
About Guido Berlucchi & C.
Without Berlucchi there would be no Franciacorta. In 1961, estate owner Guido Berlucchi and young winemaker Franco Ziliani produced the first sparkling wine made by the traditional method in the region. That act of ambition became the founding moment of the entire appellation, and the DOCG that followed 34 years later. Today Berlucchi is the largest producer in Franciacorta, making around 4 million bottles per year, now run by the third generation of the Ziliani family (Cristina, Paolo, and Franco Jr.).
House Style
The scale could compromise quality, but the '61 range remains honest, well-made, and widely available — making it the most accessible entry point to the category.
Key Wines
-
'61 Brut NV
Fresh, straightforward, crowd-pleasing; the ideal introduction to Franciacorta.
-
'61 Satèn NV
Soft and floral; good value for the style.
-
Palazzo Lana
The prestige range; more serious complexity, reserved for exceptional years.
UK Price Range
£18–28 ('61 range), £40–65 (Palazzo Lana)
Buy in the UK
Affiliate disclosure: links below may earn this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Official Website
www.berlucchi.it/en/ ↗About Franciacorta DOCG
Franciacorta is Italy's premier sparkling wine appellation, located in Lombardy near Lake Iseo. Wines are made by the traditional method — the same process used in Champagne — with minimum ageing requirements that often exceed Champagne's own. Learn more →