Franciacorta and the Michelin Guide Sign a 3 Years Exclusive Partnership in the U.S.

June 10, 2024 – Today, Franciacorta announced it will become the exclusive Sparkling Wine Partner of the MICHELIN Guide ceremonies in the U.S. in addition to being a sponsor of the Sommelier of the Year Awards for the next three years.
Since 2021, Franciacorta has been a Destination Partner of the MICHELIN Guide in Italy. Franciacorta is now significantly strengthening the relationship with the MICHELIN Guide entering an important market in the U.S. where the gastronomic scene is strongly growing in terms of quality and appreciation from the consumers.

The kickoff of the collaboration will take place in at the California MICHELIN Guide Ceremony later this year, when the new California Stars will be revealed. Guests will be able to taste and discover the different Franciacorta typologies at the event while the newly awarded chefs will toast with Franciacorta on stage. During the ceremony Michelin will also present an annual Award to the best sommelier in California, which Franciacorta will sponsor.
The partnership will continue in 2024 at the MICHELIN Guide Ceremonies throughout the U.S. destinations.

“This alliance between Franciacorta and Michelin is established on the basis of a deeply shared appreciation for food and wine, as well as a sustainable environmental approach” declares Silvano Brescianini, President of the Franciacorta Consortium. “We are proud and excited to expand our partnership overseas joining the MICHELIN Guide U.S. as we believe Franciacorta still has a lot to express and communicate in this market, especially in the fine and high-quality dining industry. We really believe chefs and sommeliers are playing every day a key role as ambassadors of the gastronomic and enological excellence and this is one way to express our gratitude.”

“I am delighted to extend our partnership with Franciacorta to the U.S. market as we toast together to the exceptional achievements of the chefs and restaurant industry across our destinations,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “Our shared values and commitment to elevating the food and wine industry proves this partnership is the perfect match to bring to the ever-growing gastronomic scene in the U.S.”

“I am delighted and proud of this new partnership between Franciacorta, a symbol of Italian excellence in the wine industry, and the prestigious MICHELIN Guide in the U.S.” said the Ambassador of Italy to the U.S., Mariangela Zappia. “This partnership will enhance the appreciation of the American public not only for the Italian wine, already held in high regard in this beautiful country, but for the made in Italy ethos that Franciacorta perfectly embodies, for our ability of uniquely blending tradition with innovation, prioritizing wellbeing and sustainability, all while delivering extraordinary quality and, in the food and wine sector, an unparalleled taste”.

Silvano Brescianini, President of the Franciacorta Consortium

The partnership with the MICHELIN Guide U.S. expands the number of notable collaborations that Franciacorta boasts in the U.S. market and internationally.

Franciacorta is in fact a partner of the Emmy Awards, the most prestigious event for American television, that celebrates the most important achievements and most talented artists throughout the industry. The growing success of television in recent years has attracted international actors from cinema and theater and has created an increasingly loyal global audience. The 76th edition of the Emmys will take place in Los Angeles on September 15.

Franciacorta for 12 years has been the Official Wine of Milan Fashion Week, thanks to the collaboration with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the Official Sparkling Wine of 1000 Miglia, the world’s most beautiful car race and of course of the MICHELIN Guide Italy.

About FRANCIACORTA

The area known as Franciacorta lies in the heart of Lombardy, a stone’s throw from Milan, bordering Iseo Lake. Its approximately 200 square kilometers include 19 municipalities in the province of Brescia. The softly rounded hills, bounded to the west by the Oglio river and to the northeast by the furthest extensions of the Rhaetian Alps, owe their ancient origins to the retreating glaciers which, over 10,000 years ago, formed the amphitheater where Franciacorta is nestled.

The morainic and marine origin gives to the soil of this area an extraordinarily rich mineral content that, together with the variety of its components and the distinctive microclimate, determines the key factors for a high quality viticulture.

With over the 55% of the organic vineyards, Franciacorta is internationally one of the first denominations for the share of organic viticulture. This goes together with several projects and studies conducted by Consorzio Franciacorta to preserve the biodiversity of the soils, thanks to sensitivity of the producers and their desire to protect the future of the territory.

The Franciacorta method is regulated by strict and rigorous rules, intended to guarantee wines of the finest quality through the use of noble vines, hand-picked, natural refermentation in the bottle and subsequent slow maturation and aging on the lees.

Franciacorta is made with Chardonnay, Pinot nero and Pinot bianco grapes, with the last permitted up to a maximum of 50%. With the sixth amendment to the production disciplinary, was introduced the Erbamat grape, an old white grape varietal, indigenous to the province of Brescia.

More information on: www.franciacorta.wine

About the MICHELIN Guide

Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants.

The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef.
The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the inspectors when dining on their own time.
The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable gastronomy.
Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors.

The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin’s inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the inspectors in the very beginning.

The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel.

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 40 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.

All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.