Lombardy is not very well known for wine production even though provides the Franciacorta Spumante, one of the most popular sparkling wines of Italy. In fact Lombardy is often associated with financial services, fashion and the opera (La Scala of Milano). Therefore, as all the other regions of Italy, Lombardy has its own tradition.

One of the most famous area in Lombardy for winemaking is the Oltrepo' Pavese which is located in the Pavia province. One of the most unique areas to grow grapes is instead Valtellina. In Lombardia, near Italy’s northern Swiss border, Valtellina forms a narrow strip, twenty-five miles long, on the banks of the Adda River. Amid very mountainous terrain, this is the largest terraced vineyard area in Italy, comprised of two DOCG regions: Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore. Within Valtellina Superiore are four subregions, or crus: Grumello, Inferno, Sassella and Valgella. Steep vineyards, at 400-1,000 meters elevation, make using mechanical equipment impossible, so all viticulture (removing soil, harvesting grapes, etc.) is done by hand. One grape variety is grown here, Chiavennasca, the local name for Nebbiolo. All wines produced in Valtellina must contain at least 90% Chiavennasca, which has been grown here since the 14th Century. Ironically, an ongoing university study seeks to prove that Lombardy was the birthplace of Nebbiolo, brought later to renowned Piedmont, home of Barolo and Barbaresco.

Other places of interest for grapes cultivation are the Po plain close to Mantova, the Adda valleyand the slopes of Brescia and Bergamo provinces. The most widely cultivated grapes are Barbera, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) and Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco). Pinot Noir sometimes is vinified alone and produces some excellent and complex red wines. Therefore is mainly used, together with Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, as the basis for sparkling wine. Often this wine produced in Lombardy is sent in other regions of Italy, such as Piemonte and Trentino Alto Adige to make sparkling wines. Among the wines produced in Lombardy it is important to list Terre di Franciacorta, which can be red or white: if white is made with Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay and if red is made from Barbera, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Another important wine is Lambrusco which is produced mainly close to the border with Emilia Romagna: it is a fruity, semi-sweet, light-bodied red wine. Another DOC is the white wine Lugana which is produced along the shores of the Lake Garda with a local variety of Trebbiano grape. But the best wine of Lombardy is Franciacorta which is a sparkling white wine. Franciacorta region is located between Bergamo and Brescia, south of the Lake of Iseo. Probably the name originated from the words Court (Corte) of France (Francia). Even though wine production in this area was brought by the Romans, the intensive production of Franciacorta Spumante started in the early 1960s. This sparkling wine is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes using the Metodo Classico (Classic Method)  and perfectly competes with the most popular French Champagne. Usually Franciacorta is vinified dry (Brut) but it is possible to find also some excellent sweet versions.