Bianchi family Villa Franciacorta cellar inside the restored medieval hamlet at Monticelli Brusati, pouring vintage-only Cuvette Brut, Bokeh Saten and Emozione Brut from 1978 onward.
Address: Via Villa, 12, 25040 Monticelli Brusati, Brescia, Italy, Franciacorta
Greek-cross 1850 cellars dug from rock at Monticelli Brusati, restored by Franco Ziliani in the 1970s, pouring Essence Brut, Essence Saten and the Magis Riserva on weekend visits.
Tasting: Walk through the 1850 Greek-cross tunnel cellars dug for Brescia merchant Luigi Rossetti (the cantinone the locals called el cantinu) and a flight of Essence Brut, Essence Saten and the Magis Riserva. Visits run Saturday and Sunday by reservation.
Casa Paladin's medieval Castello Bonomi at the foot of Monte Orfano pours Lucrezia Pas Dose, Cuvee 1564 Brut and the Cru Perdu single-vineyard Riserva.
Tasting: Visit to the medieval Castello Bonomi at the foot of Monte Orfano (Casa Paladin since 2008), with terraced vineyard walks and a flight of Lucrezia Pas Dose, Cuvee 1564 Brut and the single-vineyard Cru Perdu Riserva.
The Antinori family's only Franciacorta estate at Calino pours Cuvee Royale, Brut Rose and the Contessa Maggi Riserva inside a Cazzago San Martino sandy-moraine cellar.
Tasting: Guided cellar visit to the Antinori family's only Lombard outpost at Calino, with a vineyard tour and a flight of Cuvee Royale Brut, Brut Rose and the Contessa Maggi Riserva named for the Tuscan matriarch.
Uberti's Villa Pedergnano cellar at Erbusco pours Cuvee Sublimis, Comari del Salem Saten and the Magnificentia Riserva named for the family's 18th-century estate.
Tasting: Cellar visit and vineyard walk at the Uberti family estate at Villa Pedergnano, with a flight of Cuvee Sublimis, Comari del Salem Saten and the Magnificentia long-aged Riserva.
Greek-cross 1850 cellars dug from rock at Monticelli Brusati, restored by Franco Ziliani in the 1970s, pouring Essence Brut, Essence Saten and the Magis Riserva on weekend visits.
Tasting: Walk through the 1850 Greek-cross tunnel cellars dug for Brescia merchant Luigi Rossetti (the cantinone the locals called el cantinu) and a flight of Essence Brut, Essence Saten and the Magis Riserva. Visits run Saturday and Sunday by reservation.
Ricci Curbastro's Villa Evelina at Capriolo combines a farm-winery tour with the Museo Agricolo e del Vino and a flight pouring the Saten, Extra Brut and late-disgorged Museum Release range.
Tasting: Guided visit through the Villa Evelina farm winery (Ricci Curbastro family since 1885, modernised 1967) combined with the Museo Agricolo e del Vino, plus a flight of the Extra Brut, Saten, Brut Rose and the late-disgorged Museum Release range.
Maurizio Zanella's flagship cellar at Erbusco, where the visit walks the contactless press line and the sculpture-lined Hall of the Wines before a flight of Cuvee Prestige and Annamaria Clementi.
Tasting: Guided cellar visit covering the Ca' del Bosco Method (grape washing, vertical contactless press), the underground Hall of the Wines and Arnaldo Pomodoro's sculpture park, followed by a flight of Cuvee Prestige, Vintage Collection Brut, Vintage Collection Saten and Annamaria Clementi.
