Il Mosnel

Franciacorta wine country near the lovely Lake Iseo is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets for wine lovers. Franciacorta’s bubblies are considered to be the crème de la crème of sparkling wines in Italy. This region is the perfect wine tasting excursion from Milan as it is just over an hour’s drive. One of the loveliest historic wineries in the Franciacorta appellation, Il Mosnel Winery produces a range of excellent still wines and Bollicine (“Bubbles,” as sparkling wine is referred to in Italian). Run by the Barboglio family since the early 1800s and operating under the Il Mosnel label since the late ’70s, it’s a beautiful historic estate located near the medieval village of Rodengo (home to a Cistercian Abbey whose monks cultivated vineyards in the region for centuries).

Like most of the wineries here, Il Mosnel only began making Franciacorta (the local Champagne-method sparkling wine) in the latter part of the 20th century, after the pioneering winemaker Franco Ziliani first began experimenting with sparkling wines. In earlier days, dating back to Roman times, the region was better known for reds, though there is evidence of sparkling wine being made as early as the 17th century. In 1968, Il Mosnel was one of the first wineries to join the brand-new Franciacorta DOC (now DOCG). Decades later, it was followed by a slew of high-budget wineries that today make this once-sleepy corner of Lombardia such a fashionable place and have given it a reputation as the birthplace of Italy’s best sparkling wines.

Il Mosnel can trace its history back to the 16th century when the powerful Cacciamatta family owned the cellars that the winery still uses today. In the first half of the 19th century, the cellars and surrounding estate were sold to the Barboglio family. Emanuela Barboglio oversaw the winery’s oftentimes difficult transition from still wine producer to sparkling wine producer during the latter part of the 20th century. The family business is now run by her grown children, Guilio Barzanò, head of technical, business, and production areas, and Lucia Barzanò, in charge of administration, marketing, and public relations. This winery is one of our favorite wineries in Franciacorta and is featured on our Franciacorta Wine Tour for the wines’ quality, the estate’s beauty, and hospitality.