From Cazzano di Tramigna to the deep south of Italy
The story behind the name is a legend: A traveling count is said to have once rested on the plateau of Monte Crocetta, let his gaze wander over the hilly Val Tramigna, and caught the light scent of must in his nose – and decided to stay. The inhabitants of the village henceforth called him Conte di Campiano, the Count of the Field. This spirit – arrival, rooting, enthusiasm for a terroir – still shapes the brand today, which is backed by a concrete family business: Contri Spumanti, based in Cazzano di Tramigna east of Verona. Luciano Contri, born there in 1938, founded his wine business in 1959, initially as a sole proprietorship, which he converted into the current Contri Spumanti S.p.A. in 1980. Today, his son Paolo Contri runs the company – a trained oenologist and responsible for the strategic move to Apulia.
Venetian cellar expertise meets Apulian terroir
Contri Spumanti had made a name for itself over decades as a significant sparkling wine producer in the Veneto. The decision to develop an independent Apulian collection followed a clear conviction: Certain wines cannot be imitated – they demand their terroir. The grapes for the Conte di Campiano wines grow in and around Manduria, between Taranto and Bari, on calcareous soils under the influence of two seas. Primitivo, Negroamaro, and other indigenous varieties thrive here under conditions that allow for intense fruit and natural spice at the same time. The harvest is done by hand; strict yield regulations of the DOC and DOCG appellations – above all Primitivo di Manduria – set the quality framework already in the vineyard. In the cellar, the team around Paolo Contri relies on controlled fermentation and, where it serves the wine, on aging in oak barrels. The Riserva line matures for up to twelve months in barriques. A special place is occupied by the Appassimento method: Negroamaro grapes from the Salento DOC region are gently dried after the harvest, losing part of their water content, which specifically concentrates sugar, acids, and aromas.
Primitivo, Negroamaro and the art of concentration
The range of Conte di Campiano revolves around the two great grape varieties of the Apulian south. The Sessantuno (Sexaginta Unus) Primitivo di Manduria and the Primitivo di Manduria Riserva DOC Paolo e Carlo Classe 1966 show how far Primitivo can span between rich dark fruit and structured depth – the Riserva with a correspondingly longer barrel aging. The Cabernet Primitivo combines an international grape variety with the regional character of Primitivo and works with complementary effects in tannin and aromatics. The flagship in the sweet wine sector is the Appassimento Negroamaro Passito: concentrated dried fruit, dark spice, dense finish – the result of the Appassimento method in its Apulian manifestation. What all wines in this collection have in common is the ambition not to imitate southern Italy, but to depict it directly: ripe dark fruit, Mediterranean herbs, substance in the finish. They go well with grilled lamb, aged Pecorino, or hearty braised dishes – cuisine that can handle warmth and character.
