Giuseppe Contratto founded Contratto in 1867. This beautiful Estate was in the family’s hands for 126 years. In 1993, Carlo Bocchino purchased the property. The historical cellars underwent substantial renovations. In 2011, Giorgio Rivetti and the team of La Spinetta were able to take ownership of this understated jewel with the goal of reviving Contratto to its former glory. The winery has a long, distinguished history. Contratto is the oldest producer of sparkling wine in Italy. In fact, the 1919 Contratto Extra Brut was the first vintage “Metodo Classico” sparkling wine ever made in the country!
At the turn of the 20th century, Contratto’s wines were one of the premier sources of sparkling wine in Royal houses around the world. Contratto was the personal supplier to the Vatican, as well as the Italian royal family. The historical Estate has breathtaking cellars carved into the tuff limestone hillside that protects the small town of Canelli. These cathedral cellars are among the finest of their kind, excavated at a depth of 32 meters. The cellars maintain a constant annual temperature of 13°C and sufficient natural humidity. This ideal environment for bottle fermentation and maturation helps Contratto to craft wines of purity and complexity. Over the course of its 150 years history of winemaking, Contratto has produced Moscato, Barolo, Spumante Metodo Classico, Vermouths, Tonics, Bitters, Gin, Whiskey and more!
Today, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Contratto produces only traditional method sparkling wine and selected spirits under the watchful eye of Giorgio Rivetti, and his talented son, Andrea. While La Spinetta has owned the Estate since Spring 2011, Giorgio and Andrea have been secretly making the Metodo Classico wines since 2007 with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from Oltrepo Pavese. Thus, the inaugural releases of Contratto Metodo Classico were all the products of this talented father-son team.
In 2014, the Estate invested in land and the creation of new vineyards in Alta Langa, near the town of Bossolasco. Giorgio Rivetti acquired 45 acres of southern exposure hillside in order to plant Pinot Noir at 720 m above sea level. With the existing 33 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards around Canelli and Loazzolo and the new Pinot Noir plantings, Contratto from 2014 vintage onwards, produces sparkling wines from 100% Estate grown fruit only and the appellation of the wines is ALTA LANGA DOCG.