La Spinetta

La Spinetta is an Italian wine producer making wines predominantly in Piedmont. It is particularly known for its single-vineyard Barbaresco wines and the Barolo Campe, plus an innovative blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera called Pin. These wines are known for their ripe, voluptuous style, and can be drunk young or aged for many years.

The estate was founded in 1977, with production initially focused on  Moscato. In 1985, La Spinetta released its first red wine, the Cà di Pian, a Barbera d'Asti. Pin was introduced in 1989 and the first single-vineyard Nebbiolo, the Barbaresco Gallina, was released in 1995.

La Spinetta's vineyards have older vines, usually at least 35 years of age. Extensive green harvesting keeps yields low and maximizes quality, and often allows La Spinetta to pick a week or so earlier than its neighbors. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used and 75 percent of vineyards are farmed biodynamically. The grapes are picked by hand by long-serving harvest teams.

Modern techniques are used in the winery, with red wines fermented in rotating stainless steel tanks. La Spinetta ages its top wines in modern French oak barriques, 80 percent of which are new, rather than the more traditional large Slavonian oak barrels.

La Spinetta makes a wide range of wines in addition to its top Nebbiolos, including several made from Barbera and Moscato, as well as a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Passito Oro dessert wine. More recently, La Spinetta has expanded its operations to Tuscany, and makes several wines there from Sangiovese, Vermentino and Colorino. The most recent expansion of the company portfolio was the 2011 purchase of Contratto in Canelli, which is a well-established metodo classic winery, also producing Vermouths and bitters.