Contratto

Contratto is a winery in Canelli, founded in 1867 by Giuseppe Contratto, who began making wine from Moscato grapes from the Monferrato area. In 1919, Contratto produced Italy’s first vintage-dated sparkling wine, before beginning vermouth and liqueur production in 1920. The Contratto family ran the winery until 1993, when the Bocchino family took over; the Rivettis acquired the winery in 2011.

The Rivettis found soils and a climate suited to growing Pinot Nero and Chardonnay in Bossolasco, a small town in Alta Langa. Contratto also practices exclusively organic farming and uses green harvesting, with yields never exceeding 30 hectolitres of wine per hectare. Its wines include For England, a sparkling wine created around 1920 specifically for the British market.