Sparkling wine was given its long-awaited spotlight in Katie Kelly Bell’s recent Forbes article, “Bubbly On A  Budget: Best Value Sparkling Wines To Try Now.”

Bell starts off by defining the distinction between sparkling wine and champagne, two terms that are often mistakenly used interchangeably.  While the method of production for both could be exactly the same, sparkling wine is “a general term used to characterize bubbly” whereas, champagne is “a bubbly [that] must be made within the confines of France’s Champagne region” and must be made in the ‘traditional method’ or Methode Champenoise.

The article captures the rising popularity and accessibility of sparkling wines from around the globe, including regions ranging from California to Tasmania. Bell recommends that the best place to experiment is at restaurants where there are sommeliers “pouring exciting options by the glass.”

To conclude, Bell provides a list of some of today’s most stunning, yet affordable sparkling wines, highlighting Barone Pizzini’s own Animante Franciacorta Brut. She appreciates Franciacorta’s precise and complex wines, which are not only made in the traditional method but are also from the region’s first certified organic winery. Accordingly, Bell notes Barone Pizzini as being a pioneer in promoting biodiversity and natural farming methods in its region.

Let’s ring in some holiday cheer! Snow, Santa, dreidels and festivities will soon usher in the holiday season. Kitchens are abuzz with families preparing traditional, tried and true classics for a bountiful holiday feast. Why not serve your dishes with an organic twist?

Barone Pizzini and Pievalta offer several options to grace your holiday meal. Barone Pizzini, the first winery in the Franciacorta area in northern Italy to adopt organic farming, boasts some of Italy’s greatest sparkling wine. Preservation of the land coupled with a long term ecological balance have distinguished Barone Pizzini and Pievalta as influential leaders in organic winemaking.

Solar panels, water purification and a natural cooling system guarantee an environmentally friendly process. The winery’s unique architecture, in which two thirds of the building lie underground, offers a bioclimatic and organic system. Therefore, the winery takes from the Earth and gives back to the wine.

Barone Pizzini’s family of Franciacorta wines will sparkle at holidays feasts. Elevate appetizers with Animante Franciacorta DOCG, Barone Pizzini’s flagship wine. These wines are a jumpstart to your holiday meal.

The Rosé Franciacorta (80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay) pairs ideally with fish, white meats, cheese and salami. It makes a perfect splash with holiday starters. These two wines make a solid start to holiday dinner parties as well as an excellent range of prix-fixe pairings for organically-driven tasting menus.  

Pair grass-fed lamb with Pievalta’s Marche IGT Rosso. The Marche IGT Rosso is made with Montepulciano grapes, which pairs beautifully with meats, as well as salami and cheese. The deep red wine will bring out the natural flavor of the lamb and the pungent aromas of the charcuterie and cheese.    

Celebrate this holiday season with family, friends, and healthy holiday cheer.  Complement your holiday feast with award winning organic wines from Barone Pizzini and Pievalta.  

Do organic wineries thrive in Italy? Yes, according to Donna Sozio’s “Italian Wine: Where to Sip and Savor the Best Organic Wine in Italy,” published in Organic Authority.

Sozio underscores the prominence of this contemporary trend in the winemaking process. Organic winemaking is considered to be a celebrated spin on an age–old method. The article proceeds to highlight several wineries throughout Italy, each proud of its environmentally conscious achievements.

Barone Pizzini is an ideal example of a winery at the forefront of organic winemaking. Pievalta goes a step further as a pioneer in biodynamic winemaking in Le Marche. Both are included in the article as example wineries that pursue organic principles.

These wineries are propelling the ancient art of winemaking into the future. In implementing organic and sustainable methods into their processes, they show deep respect for the terroirs of their particular locations. Further, they are invigorating the process with modern technological advancements to preserve the earth from which the grapes come.

Respect for the land is an ancient philosophy. Yet, over time, it was been eschewed for advancements in technology. These Italian wineries, however, strive to preserve the land with technological innovation. In bridging these values, cutting edge Italian wineries are paving the way for the future of organic winemaking.