OUR STORY IN THE MAKING ACCOUNTABLE BY NATURE
STEWARDS OF THE LAND TREASURE TROVE OF TALENTS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
Places that say something about us
THE HISTORIC CELLAR: THE ITALIAN AGEING “HALL” WITH A UNIQUE STYLE
PALAZZO LANA: HISTORIC RESIDENCE AND MEETING PLACE
THE HISTORIC VINEYARDS
THE CASTLE OF BORGONATO
Brolo Vineyard. Brolo vineyard is particularly important to the or- ganisation: situated opposite Palazzo Lana Ber- lucchi, it symbolises Franciacorta’s historic rural architecture. The most prized crops were planted in the stone-walled broli , or traditional orchards. The soil here is particularly suitable for producing Pinot Noir with good acidity levels. Its vines are densely planted – 10,000 per hectare – and produce very low yields to ensure the highest quality grapes.
Built in 1680, the first historic bottle produced in 1961 is conserved here. The Lana de’ Terzi family – Guido Berlucchi’s ances- tors – built the historic cellar in 1680 to age their still wines. It is now a symbolic place for all of Francia- corta: the first bottle of the 1961 vintage still rests in a niche in the ancient stone walls. In subsequent dec- ades, the cellar was enlarged and today this 12,000 square metre underground area is dedicated to age- ing Berlucchi Franciacorta wines.
Prestigious headquarters, symbol of the Francia- corta entrepreneurial vision. Palazzo Lana Berlucchi was purchased in the late 1400s and enlarged over the centuries by the Lana de’ Terzi family and Guido Berlucchi resided here until his passing. Today it is the symbol of Francia- corta entrepreneurship: its two halls witnessed the birth of the first bottles of Franciacorta. The palazzo now hosts cultural activities and is a destination for aficionados of the history of this land and its wine.
Treasured testimony of bygone eras. The Castle of Borgonato, built on the hill, is locat- ed right in the middle of Franciacorta and is a dis- tinctive feature of the landscape, bearing witness to the far-off Lombard and medieval eras (8 th -11 th centuries). The distinctive horizontal bands reflect the colours of the Lana family lineage and date back to the 19 th century. These decorations were recently restored by Guido Berlucchi. This was not a castle in the modern sense of the word, but rather a walled complex to protect the village and its inhabitants. The Castle and adjoining Church make the Borgona- to hill unique in the Franciacorta landscape. Our organisation protects and preserves this landscape on a daily basis, making whatever work, repairs and restorations are necessary for the upkeep of this cultural heritage.
THE LOGISTICS HUB: EFFICIENCY AND PRESERVATION OF THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
THE WINEMAKING CELLAR: THE HEART OF PRODUCTION
Castello Vineyard. The Castello Vineyard made Franco Ziliani and Guido Berlucchi’s dream come true. This is where the grapes used in the first Pinot di Franciacorta in 1961 were grown. This vineyard, of some 2 hec- tares, stands on a gently sloping hill terraced over the centuries. Together with the castle and church buildings of Borgonato, it is a unique, distinguishing feature of Franciacorta. In 2018, Erbamat, a recent- ly recovered ancient native grape variety, was field grafted onto the existing vines to counteract climate change. This extremely vigorous grape is now flour - ishing here thanks to the terrain’s morainic soils and favourable, sunny exposure.
Just a few kilometres from our headquarters, Berluc- chi Franciacorta begins its journey in the Provaglio warehouse. The finished bottles are brought here to be sorted by order and shipped to customers all over the world. The warehouse is located away from the residential area, so traffic is diverted away from Borgonato, a small medieval village, thus preserving its beauty and historic homes.
Thanks to continuous experimentation and innovation, these cellars represent the winery’s future-oriented outlook. We use cutting-edge technology to research and experiment with approaches that make our wine- making process more sustainable, respectful of the environment and geared towards reducing waste. This is where our grapes become Franciacorta, fol- lowing very strict protocols.
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