The Familiare Method: The Archetype of Italian Sparkling Wine

To describe the Metodo Familiare—one of the oldest techniques for producing sparkling wine—it is impossible not to start with the “Bollicine da Uve Italiane” project: a selection of sparkling wines made from traditional Italian grape varieties that highlights the extraordinary diversity and freshness expressed by the regions of our country, at every latitude and altitude.

The brand’s goal is to promote sparkling wines produced from grapes whose presence and cultivation are historically documented in their regions of origin. No specific winemaking or sparkling wine production methods are mandated: the only essential requirement is the presence of perlage, the element that unites all expressions of sparkling wine.

At the heart of the project lies a seemingly simple idea, yet one capable of offering a new perspective on the Italian sparkling wine landscape. The focus shifts, in fact, to the extraordinary viticultural biodiversity that makes Italy a unique case in the world.

Italy’s ancient native grape varieties, both white and red, are often characterized by a naturally high acidity. This quality makes it possible to produce sparkling wines with great character even in warm regions or at relatively low altitudes. The use of these grape varieties allows us to pursue an authentically Italian approach to sparkling wine production: a path that looks with respect and admiration to the great lessons of French tradition, yet proudly asserts its own identity.

The results achieved over the years have demonstrated how the natural acidity of certain varieties allows for the production of sparkling wines even in geographical contexts that until recently would have been considered unlikely. Today, the selection of Bollicine da Uve Italiane includes hundreds of labels, capable of representing the variety, richness, and uniqueness of the national wine heritage.

As ASPI sommelier Marco Larentis writes:

“White, rosé, or red; some meant to be enjoyed young, others destined for long aging; famous or little-known; for every occasion and every budget. These are sparkling wines: cheerful, tantalizing, harmonious, lively, effervescent, and festive.”

Sparkling wines can be produced using various methods. From the Champenoise method, known in Italy as the Metodo Classico, which involves secondary fermentation in the bottle, remuage, and dégorgement; to the Martinotti method, better known as Charmat, which involves secondary fermentation in large, airtight tanks; to the Metodo Familiare, likely the oldest and most spontaneous method of sparkling wine production.

Which method is best comes down to personal taste. What really matters is finding the right lens through which to interpret the message each wine seeks to convey. The occasion, your mood, and the company you keep will all influence your choice. And the final judgment will always be personal and unquestionable.

What is the Familiare Method?

The name “Metodo Familiare” itself evokes a traditional, home-based production process, rooted in a family, a region, and knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

Secondary fermentation generally takes place in the spring, sometimes in early summer. With the arrival of the first warm weather, the wine “awakens” and resumes the transformation of the last residual sugars that remained inactive during the winter. Thus begins a second natural fermentation directly in the bottle, a process that follows the rhythms of nature and which, unlike the Martinotti method, cannot be artificially replicated at any time of the year.

At the end of fermentation, the wine becomes sparkling and develops its own perlage. As in the Metodo Classico, yeast deposits form at the bottom of the bottle; however, in the Metodo Familiare, these residues are not removed through disgorgement but remain in contact with the wine.

It is precisely this characteristic that makes it unique. Some prefer to decant the wine into a carafe to separate it from the sediment and enjoy a clearer glass. Others, however, consider the last glass—the one that captures the yeast settled at the bottom—to be the richest, most authentic, and most fascinating of the entire bottle.

After all, the Metodo Familiare represents one of the most genuine expressions of wine: a meeting of nature, tradition, and time, capable of unfiltered storytelling about the character of the territory from which it originates.