Franciacorta’s debut at Wine Paris 2026 blends identity, strategy, and international ambition. Over thirty wineries in attendance and a signature event on the Seine. President Emanuele Rabotti: “An extraordinary energy. This is how we strengthen the brand and share the value of Italian Metodo Classico with the world.”
Paris sparkles. The Eiffel Tower lights up the evening sky, its reflection shimmering across the Seine. In the glasses, the fine and elegant perlage of Franciacorta weaves a luminous, delicate pattern. It is the symbolic image of a long-awaited and meaningful debut: the first participation of the Franciacorta Consortium at Wine Paris 2026, the exhibition that more than any other aspires to become the global crossroads of the wine world.
For this “first time,” Franciacorta chose a strong, cohesive, identity-driven presence. Within the halls of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the Consortium brought together more than 30 wineries in a large collective area, transformed into a true commercial and networking hub. A meeting point for press, trade professionals, international buyers, and institutions, including Minister Francesco Lollobrigida and Italy’s Ambassador to Paris, Emanuela d’Alessandro. Completing the participation were eight additional wineries with individual stands, bringing the total to 38 wineries involved in the show, held from February 9 to 11.
“For the Consortium, this was our debut at Wine Paris, and the spirit we experienced was extraordinarily positive. Being here together, in France of all places, carries a meaning that goes beyond the trade fair itself. Thirty-five years ago, it would have been almost unthinkable to imagine Franciacorta playing a leading role in Paris. Today, this presence speaks more clearly than any data about the growth and maturity of the Denomination,” said Emanuele Rabotti, President of the Franciacorta Consortium, who led this historic debut—one that translates into positioning, vision, and a cultural statement.
A Global Showcase
Wine Paris confirms itself as an international stage, and Franciacorta chose to attend with a clear strategy. “Wine Paris has all the credentials to become the leading global wine event. For Franciacorta, which enjoys growing recognition among consumers and in international markets, being present means engaging directly with the world.”
France is not among the primary markets for the Lombardy DOCG, yet it remains a strategic, symbolic, and high-potential arena. “Paris and France represent a context of great interest for us. It is not our core market, but Wine Paris is an authentically global platform.”
Supporting this climate of confidence are the 2025 Economic Observatory data: Franciacorta closed the year in stability, with exports growing by +5.3%, driven by Switzerland, Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands. “When consumers understand the value of our quality-to-price ratio, their response is immediate—and often translates into loyalty.”
The Seine, Satèn, and Marennes-Oléron Oysters
While the trade fair represented the business core of the Paris mission, the most iconic moment took place elsewhere—on the waters of the Seine. To celebrate the debut, the Consortium organized a celebratory event aboard a bateau mouche, transforming the occasion into an experiential narrative of the Franciacorta denomination.
At the heart of the event was a tasting entirely dedicated to Franciacorta Satèn, paired with traditional French cuisine and Marennes-Oléron oysters—PDO excellence from the Atlantic coast and a partner of Franciacorta. “The cruise was designed with a precise objective: to celebrate our presence and enhance the perception of the Franciacorta brand in France. An initiative shared and strongly supported by our producers.”
Not merely a social event, but a refined territorial marketing initiative built on dialogue between two gastronomic cultures and two great taste traditions. This is further evidenced by the partnership with Marennes-Oléron, launched in 2025 and set to develop in the coming years. At the Fêtes de l’Ostra, Franciacorta accompanied the celebrated oysters—a tangible sign of an increasingly solid relationship with the French market and of the growing global recognition of Italian-made perlage.
Identity, Elegance, and a Win Away from Home
Over 20 million bottles, more than 120 wineries, and a DOCG that since 1995 has represented the pinnacle of Italian Metodo Classico. But above all, a strong identity. “Franciacorta owes much of its solidity to a clear and distinctive identity,” Rabotti emphasizes, “an element that in recent years has become increasingly evident in international markets as well.”
From Paris, the outlook remains firmly global: the United States, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan are confirmed as established markets, while attention is growing toward Northern and Eastern Europe. “An evolution built consistently, thanks to the shared work of our wineries, whom I wish to thank for their commitment, vision, and sense of responsibility.”
It is difficult not to see this presence as a small yet significant “win away from home”: Lombardy’s perlage presenting itself with confidence in one of the symbolic capitals of wine. Not as an outsider, but as a credible, mature, and recognizable interlocutor.
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