Winemaker
Franco Ziliani
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Castagneto Carducci, Italy
i. Biography
Franco Ziliani works at the intersection of two major Italian wine forms: Bolgheri red and Franciacorta sparkling. At Caccia Al Piano in Castagneto Carducci, Italy, his name is attached to a practice that values structure, texture, and the way a wine holds up over time. The same sensibility runs through both still and sparkling work: build for balance, keep the line clean, and let time do part of the finishing.
At a Glance - Nationality: Italian. - Owner: Guido Berlucchi. - Franciacorta contribution: pioneer-creator of Classic Method sparkling wines in Franciacorta, Italy. - Signature work: Ruit Hora Bolgheri Rosso DOC, 2022, a Bolgheri red blend based mainly on Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot; it is described as showing the structure and complexity of the Bolgheri amphitheater while remaining immediately pleasant and ageworthy. In Franciacorta, Ziliani is recognized as a pioneer-creator of Classic Method sparkling wines in Franciacorta, Italy. That is a technical lineage built on patience and precision, where timing, bottle age, and detail are part of the method itself. His place in that history points to a winemaking approach that treats effervescence as structure, not decoration, and values depth as much as freshness. At Caccia Al Piano in Castagneto Carducci, Italy, that same approach appears in Ruit Hora Bolgheri Rosso DOC, 2022. The blend is based mainly on Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot, and it is described as carrying the structure and complexity of the Bolgheri amphitheater. The wine reads as composed rather than forceful: immediate in the glass, but built with enough line to age.
Signature
Franco's signature wines include Ruit Hora Bolgheri Rosso DOC. The wine shows how Ziliani’s work moves between disciplines without losing discipline: Bolgheri structure, Classic Method thinking, and a 2022 red blend made to be understood now and held for later. It is a clear example of a style that favors shape, persistence, and measured release over excess.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Franco
What is Franco Ziliani known for?
He is known for winemaking in Bolgheri, ownership of Guido Berlucchi, and Classic Method sparkling wine in Franciacorta.
Where does Franco Ziliani work?
He works at Caccia Al Piano in Castagneto Carducci, Italy.
Who is Franco Ziliani?
He is an Italian winemaker associated with Bolgheri reds and Franciacorta sparkling wine.
