Optimal health conditions for the vineyards in Franciacorta, good balance between vegetative growth and yield, abundant and high-quality grapes (after a 2024 marked by double-digit drops), despite the violent hailstorm during the first weekend of August in the Brescia area, which fortunately spared the crops. For the Lombardy sparkling wine region, harvesting of the earliest grape clusters began on Monday 4 August (with a phenological advance of four days compared to the average), ahead of the key date of 10 August, which marks the peak of the harvest across the approximately 3,000 hectares of vineyards.
“Ideal” conditions
The vintage, described as “promising” by the Consorzio di Tutela (which has recently renewed its Board of Directors), benefits from a balance between heat, coolness, and water availability that has encouraged regular vine development. There has been a “higher-than-average sugar accumulation in the grapes and excellent acidity levels, ideal for the production of Franciacorta.”
As for rainfall, the year has been wet: 840 mm accumulated between January and July (+31% compared to the historical average). The rainfall did not cause stress or significant damage, thanks to the water reserves in the soil and careful vineyard management. July alone recorded 242 mm of rain, compared to a historical average of 101 mm (+140%).
Emanuele Rabotti – President of Consorzio Franciacorta 2025
Sales figures show positive growth
On the commercial front, after closing 2024 with over 19 million bottles sold, the 120 wineries associated with the protection consortium are seeing encouraging signs in foreign markets. According to the DOCG's Economic Observatory, export volume accounts for more than 17.4% of total sales, with a 7% increase in 2025. This, despite the uncertainties posed by the international context and US tariffs, with the US accounting for approximately 12% of exported volumes for the denomination (second export market after Switzerland, based on 2024 data).
The Consortium’s assessment
“We’re beginning a harvest that fills us with confidence,” said president Emanuele Rabotti, recently interviewed by the director of Gambero Rosso about the denomination’s future. “Nature has given us back balance and abundance: healthy grapes, regular ripening, and extraordinary aromatic richness.
“In an increasingly complex climate context, these results are also the fruit of experience, commitment, and sustainability pursued throughout the supply chain. While we are aware of the uncertainties coming from international markets, such as the new US tariffs, we face this vintage with determination and a sense of responsibility.”
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