La Spinetta Ca di Pian Barbera d`Asti DOCG

The history of the Rivetti family begins in the 1890s when the family patriarch, Giovanni Rivetti, left Piedmont and moved to Argentina. Like many Italians of that time, he cherished the hope of becoming wealthy and returning home as a rich and influential person to make wine in his homeland. However, he could not fulfill his dream, but his son Giuseppe, nicknamed Pin, did. When Pin married Lidia, they acquired vineyards and began winemaking. In 1977, the newlyweds settled in Spinetta (on the upper part of the hill) in Castagnole Lanze. This is in the heart of Moscato, where traditionally quite light and simple dessert wine was produced. But the Rivetti couple believed that Moscato had great potential and that great wines could be produced here — as proof, they created Moscato Bricco Quaglia and Biancospino. And this was just the beginning of future victories in the winemaking field of La Spinetta (the phrase "La Spinetta" means "the top of the hill"). Soon the company's first red wine appeared — Barbera Cа di Pian, which marked the beginning of the creation of great red wines that began to follow one after another. The year 1989 marked the creation of a red blend made in honor of Rivetti's father, and in 1995 they began making their first Barbaresco Gallina. The years 1996 and 1997 were marked by the releases of Barbarescos Starderi, Barbera dAlba Gallina, and Barbaresco Valeirano. And in 1998, the wine Barbera dAsti Superiore debuted. In 2000, the company acquired vineyards in Grinzane Cavour and built a modern cellar. In 2001, La Spinetta's holdings expanded beyond Piedmont with the acquisition of 65 hectares of vineyards in Tuscany, between Pisa and Volterra. These territories were purchased with the aim of producing wines from 100% Sangiovese. In 2003, a second winery opened, and in 2007, when the company celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, a third winery opened! The chief winemaker is Giorgio Rivetti, assisted by Andrea Rivetti, Stefano Mazzetta, and Mirko Bessi. The year 2008 marked the opening of a tasting room at Castagnole Lanze, the construction of new office buildings, and the introduction of climate control in the warehouse. In 2009, unusual workers — two horses — were brought in to help with plowing in special Cru vineyards. The total number of employees in the company is 65, with 55 of them working directly in the vineyards. In 2010, the first Tuscan white wine was released: Toscana Vermentino 2009, and in the same year, further steps were taken to implement a biodynamic system of work in the vineyards. The total vineyard area of the estate today is 165 hectares (100 hectares in Piedmont and 65 hectares in Tuscany). The average annual production volume is approximately 650,000 bottles per year (450,000 in Piedmont and 200,000 in Tuscany). The wines are exported to the USA (45%), Central European countries (30%), Eastern Europe (2%), Asia (10%), Scandinavia (5%), and Russia (8%).