The first thing that strikes me about Franciacorta is the lushness of its landscape, which I glimpse through the window of my shuttle van. I’ve recently landed in Milan, and the roughly hour-and-a-half journey from the Italian fashion capital quickly has my party winding through endless fields of vineyards that swooped over ancient hillsides. A light rain shrouds the region in mist, exaggerating the green all around us and lending the fields an emerald glow.

The area is famous for its eponymous style of sparkling wine produced in the traditional method, which will accompany every meal for the next few days. Grapes grow all around: Rows upon rows of Chardonnay, which occupies more than three-quarters of the total surface area. There’s also Pinot Nero, the second-most planted variety, plus smaller amounts of Pinot Bianco and the indigenous variety Erbamat. The soils, I learn, are mineral-rich, full of stones and other debris left behind by glaciers that defined this region during various ice ages. Today, precariously steep hills are all that remain of the region’s glacial past.

One could spend weeks exploring the small towns and lakeside sights in this remarkable corner of northern Italy. But with four days—and a taste for superlative sparklers—there’s plenty of time to experience the region’s top offerings.

Day 1

Our first stop is Ferghettina, whose hilltop winery affords majestic views of the surrounding landscape. In the distance, we spot Lake Iseo. Inside, many wines are poured from an unusual-shaped bottle, square on the bottom with pyramid-shaped sides. The untraditional shape, designed by founder Matteo Gatti, allows the wine increased contact with the lees—2.5 times more than with customary round bottles. Glassfuls of Ferghettina Franciacorta prove the point better than words ever could: They deliver finesse and flavorful notes of citrus and crusty bread, plus fine, persistent bubbles.

In the evening, we bunk at Cappuccini Resort, a hilltop relais ensconced in a former monastery dating to the 16th century. Rooms have a rustic elegance, with exposed wood beams and views of the property’s manicured gardens.

Dinner, at the hotel’s restaurant, features perfectly cooked risotto enriched with asparagus and barely-cooked scampi, a lobster-like crustacean with pale pink flesh. It’s perfectly complemented by a glass of Franciacorta Rosé Brut Clarabella 2019,which confers excellent structure and minerality with notes of cherry and bread.