Italy’s most famous wine region is undoubtedly Tuscany, and there’s no question that Tuscany is beautiful—but the region also gets millions and millions of tourists each year. So, you can bump shoulders with 1,000 of your best friends in San Gimignano, or you could head to some of Italy’s less well-known wine regions, like Franciacorta or Friuli. They’re equally beautiful, the wines are stellar, and you’ll actually feel like you’re in Italy.
Franciacorta
Credit: Courtesy of L’Albereta Relais & Châteaux
There are three crucial things to know about Italy’s Franciacorta region. One: It’s a little over an hour’s drive from Milan. Two: It is the source of some of the best sparkling wines in Italy. And three: It borders the beautiful Lago d’Iseo, so if you ever get tired of bubbles in your glass, you can make bubbles while you swim instead.
For a first stop, visit Berlucchi, the winery where Franciacorta’s sparkling tradition began. In 1955, Guido Berlucchi and the enologist Franco Ziliani first met, and they soon imagined making “a wine with bubbles that would bring delight right from the first sip,” as Ziliani recalls. A trip through the winery’s old cellars, 33 feet underground, brings its history to life.
For a more modern experience, head to Ca’ del Bosco. The new visitors center, which opened in 2023, is an architectural and experiential marvel, capped by a visit to the “Prestige Immersion.” Made from 33,000 backlit empty bottles of the winery’s Cuvée Prestige, this glowing golden room is reached by a walkway that retracts into the wall; you are left suspended inside what seems to be a wine bottle of infinite bubbles.
Related: The 12 Best Italian Wineries to Visit Near Milan
Easily the best hotel in the region is the Relais & Châteaux property L’Albereta (rooms from $697). Book a room there for a luxurious escape in what was originally a private residence dating back to the 19th century. The hotel offers an excellent spa; inspired gourmet dining at chef Alberto Quadrio’s L’Aurum restaurant; excellent pizzas at La Filiale, for which famed Naples area–based pizzaiolo Franco Pepe consults; and languorous bicycle rides through the vineyards. And the grapes from those vineyards you’ll ride past go into the wines of Bellavista, the third do-not-miss winery of the region. Book a tour of the cellars there to complete the perfect Franciacorta adventure.
Wine to find
NV Berlucchi Franciacorta ’61 Extra-Brut
Credit: Food & Wine / Berlucchi Franciacorta
Friuli
Taste Livio Felluga wines at the Abbazia di Rosazzo, an ancient abbey in Friuli.
Credit: Courtesy of Livio Felluga Winery
The rolling hills of eastern Friuli are home to many of Italy’s greatest white wines. It’s also, Vittoria Felluga says, “a place for curious people who are ready to be surprised.” Her grandfather Livio Felluga was a groundbreaking vigneron here, and the Livio Felluga wines are among Friuli’s best. This year, the family opened a new hospitality center at the Abbazia di Rosazzo, an abbey that dates to the 11th century. They offer three tastings, and, she says, “There’s also Le Badie, a wonderful restaurant a five-minute walk away where we invite all our partners and clients.” It’s an ideal spot for trying Friuli’s traditional triangular buckwheat pasta, blecs, served with a ragù of heritage beef and local herbs.
Some of the most atmospheric places to stay here belong to wineries. At Gradis’ciutta in the Collio hills, a 15th-century farmhouse has been transformed into a small inn with 12 rooms; the building also houses the winery’s tasting room. Book the Collio Bianco experience, during which you create your own white wine blend, or arrange for a cooking class devoted to the Central European–influenced cuisine of the region. Or do both!
Related: The 9 Best Italian White Wines for Anyone Who Loves Fresh, Crisp Flavor
Set amid the vineyards near the town of Capriva del Friuli is Relais Russiz Superiore (rooms from $105), an elegant bed-and-breakfast by the winery of the same name. Here you can taste the Russiz Superiore wines (excellent Merlot and Cabernet Franc) along with those of sister winery Marco Felluga, which specializes in local white varieties. Or borrow one of the Relais’ yellow Vespas to explore the art and architecture of the nearby towns.
Wine to find
2021 Livio Felluga Abbazia di Rosazzo
Credit: Food & Wine / Livio Felluga S.r.l
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