WineGuessrWine region · Italy
Lombardy wine
Lombardy is a northern Italian wine region best known for Franciacorta, a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from Brescia province, and for Nebbiolo reds from Valtellina in the Alps. Croatina, Pinot Nero, Chardonnay and Barbera lead its plantings. Lombardy has 5 DOCGs and 21 DOCs.
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Climate | Cool continental, shaped by the Alps and the Po |
| Main grapes | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Pinot Blanc, Croatina, Turbiana, Bonarda |
| Key appellations | Franciacorta, Valtellina Superiore, Sforzato di Valtellina, Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico, Oltrepò Pavese, Lugana, Moscato di Scanzo |
| Wines on WineGuessr | 4 |
History
Wine has been made in Valtellina since at least the 5th century, and in the 9th century the monks of Bobbio Abbey owned vineyards in the Staffora valley of the Oltrepò Pavese. Lombardy's modern fame came later. In 1961 Franco Ziliani, working for Guido Berlucchi, produced the first 3,000 bottles of bottle-fermented sparkling wine in Franciacorta. By 1967, when Franciacorta became a DOC, eleven producers were making it. It was promoted to DOCG in 1995, when the rules were reserved for sparkling wine, and since 2003 it has been the only Italian wine not required to state its DOCG on the label, much as Champagne needs no appellation wording.
Terroir and appellations
Lombardy has a cool continental climate shaped by the Alps to the north and the Po plain, with calcareous, clay and glacial moraine soils. It has 5 DOCGs, 21 DOCs and 15 IGPs. In the north, the Alpine valley of Valtellina in Sondrio province grows Nebbiolo for Valtellina Superiore and Sforzato di Valtellina. In Brescia province, Franciacorta specialises in sparkling wine. South of the Po, the Oltrepò Pavese in Pavia province makes reds and sparkling wines, with Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico as its DOCG. On the southern shore of Lake Garda, Lugana makes white wine around Sirmione. The fifth DOCG is Moscato di Scanzo.
Grapes and wine styles
Croatina, Pinot Nero, Chardonnay and Barbera are Lombardy's most planted grapes, and in 2022 the region made just over 1.2 million hl, with more white than red. Franciacorta is based on Chardonnay with Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco, made by the traditional method; non-vintage wines must age at least 25 months after harvest, 18 of them on the lees. Oltrepò Pavese uses Pinot Nero and Chardonnay for its traditional-method sparkling DOCG. Nebbiolo, the great grape of neighbouring Piedmont, is the grape of Valtellina. Lugana is made from Turbiana.
4 wines from Lombardy on the map
Lombardy wine: questions and answers
What is Franciacorta wine?
Franciacorta is a DOCG sparkling wine from Brescia province in Lombardy, made by the traditional method with a second fermentation in bottle. It is mainly Chardonnay, with Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco.
What is the difference between Franciacorta and Prosecco?
Franciacorta gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in the bottle and ages at least 18 months on the lees, while Prosecco is usually fermented in large tanks. Franciacorta is mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Nero; Prosecco is mainly Glera.
What grape is Valtellina wine made from?
Valtellina reds, including Valtellina Superiore and Sforzato di Valtellina, are made from Nebbiolo grown in the Alpine Valtellina valley in Sondrio province.
How many DOCGs are in Lombardy?
Lombardy has five DOCGs: Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico, Moscato di Scanzo, Sforzato di Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore.
Other wine regions of Italy
All wine regions →Sources: italianwinecentral.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.