Let The Italian Sparkling Wine Flow

 BY ERIC GUIDO | DECEMBER 11, 2025

The number of Italian sparkling wines that are available in the market today is unprecedented. Even beyond the major categories of Franciacorta, Prosecco and Trentodoc, there is an overwhelming abundance of small-production sparkling wines made throughout the country.

Many Italian winemakers have a deep-rooted love of Champagne, which led to the creation of categories that aim to replicate its characteristics and generally high level of quality. Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Alta Langa all utilize Metodo Classico (méthode champenoise) and see extended aging in the bottle, a process that brings out complexity through maturity and lees contact. These wines use similar varieties to those employed in Champagne, with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and, to a lesser extent, Pinot Blanc accounting for the majority of production.

Franciacorta remains the benchmark in terms of overall quality and consistency. I was seriously impressed by many of the Franciacortas I tasted for this report. Situated in Lombardy, the vineyards of Franciacorta thrive in well-draining, gravelly, mineral-rich soils with a climate moderated by Lake Iseo. Franciacorta operates under strict guidelines, requiring a minimum of 18 months of aging on the lees for non-vintage bottlings, longer than Champagne. The Franciacorta category remains underappreciated globally, often struggling against Champagne's 300 years of established branding, but the good news is that quality has continued to climb over recent years. There’s more to like about Franciacorta than ever before. 

Trentodoc sparkling wines, from the Trento DOC in Trentino, possess wiry tension, noticeable acidity and riper fruit profiles. This style reflects the region’s high-elevation terroir, which is influenced by the cooling effects of the Dolomites. Sadly, there is still a significant quality disparity in the category, as some producers seem to really “get it” while many others lag.

Alta Langa, in the south of Piedmont, is the underdog, packed with potential yet lacking the international marketing or producer reach that could solidify the category for consumers. Even my attempts to engage the local Consorzio to organize samples for this report proved unsuccessful; instead, winemakers had to ship independently. Alta Langa is unique in that all of its wines must be vintage-dated and aged for at least 30 months on the lees.

Prosecco is easily the best-known category of Italian sparkling wine, but it also suffers from the most significant level of inconsistency. That said, Prosecco can consistently overdeliver. Typically, Proseccos are made using the Charmat (tank) method. Readers in search of quality Prosecco should seek out wines from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, including its subzones such as Cartizze and the 43 Rive, which focus on crus from the region’s hillsides. Producers also craft more serious wines in the Asolo DOCG, often made as Extra Brut or designated Sui Lieviti (secondary fermentation in bottle with lees aging).

I tasted the wines in this article in November 2025 at our offices in New York City.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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