Conte Vistarino celebrates successful harvest in historic year
The Pinot Noir specialist in Oltrepò Pavese has completed its harvest, as it marks 160 years since the region’s first sparkling wines were made.
Conte Vistarino has completed a successful harvest in 2025, with careful vineyard management leading to an optimal crop. After the 2024 vintage was compromised by heavy rainfall at harvest and downy mildew, 2025 has proved a more positive year.
It was not without its challenges, however. “This year, the expertise of our agronomists and technicians has proven more crucial than ever,” explains Ottavia Giorgi di Vistarino, the current custodian of the estate.
The season saw several threatening moments, though the end result has been positive. Autumn 2024 began mild and dry, but soon turned cool and wet, leading to a cold winter that saw below-freezing temperatures and snowfall. Spring 2025 saw a leap in temperatures, leading into a more stable summer. Intermittent showers still threatened the harvest, however.
“Over the past few months, we’ve experienced a very delicate phase of intense heat, alternating with cool spells and showers. This was overcome thanks to targeted agronomic practices in canopy management and soil cultivation,” Giorgi di Vistarino comments.
The harvest began in August with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay destined for the Metodo Classico sparkling wines. It continued into September, with the Pinot Noir and Riesling destined for the estate’s still wines.
As ever, the grapes were hand-harvested, allowing the careful selection that ensures quality at the historic producer. However, 2025 has also made use of modern technology. A €500,000 investment in the agricultural machinery fleet has worked in tandem with an increased focus on manual vineyard work to maintain high standards.
“While constant vineyard work has provided us with healthy grapes with a rich aromatic profile, our investment and management decisions are already yielding significant qualitative and quantitative results. For excellent viticulture, it is essential to adapt quickly,” says Giorgi di Vistarino.
An anniversary year
2025 has proved special not just for its fine harvest, but also as a milestone for the region. This year marks 160 years since the first sparkling wines were made in Oltrepò Pavese.
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That historic moment is intimately tied to Conte Vistarino. The Giorgi di Vistarino family has had an estate of agricultural lands since the 15th century, but Count Augusto Giorgi di Vistarino took a step forward in 1850 by planting Pinot Noir. Alongside his friend Carlo Gancia, he then produced the region’s first sparkling wines with it in 1865.
Conte Vistarino has marked the anniversary by appearing at Oltrepò Terra di Pinot Nero, a festival dedicated to the grape variety. This fifth edition of the celebration took place in the streets of Borgo di Golferenzo, one of Lombardy’s most picturesque villages, in September.
The winery was among 28 presenting their Pinot Noirs. Excitingly, this year the festival was open to the public for the first time. Conte Vistarino particularly highlighted 1865, its single vintage Metodo Classico and flagship sparkling wine.
Moreover, this year’s strong harvest is allowing Conte Vistarino to mark the anniversary with a new project
“This result is even more significant considering that since 2024 we have been developing a project dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines,” says Giorgi di Vistarino, “following the philosophy of excellence that inspired my Cru project, which began over twenty years ago.”
Much like the Cru project for still wines, the new venture will select the most suitable vineyards to compose the cuvée. It has been made possible by recent investment, with its stated goal to maximize the identity and finesse of Conte Vistarino’s sparkling production.
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