Our wines are born from the intertwining of two passions. That of the Bonotto family for their land and their vineyards, which grow within the magical Prosecco Hills that have recently become a UNESCO heritage site for their incredible beauty, and that for the genuineness of a product that knows no equal in the world .

lecontesse@lecontesse.it
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About us

OUR FIRST BELLUSSERA VINEYARD

My name is Loris Bonotto, I’m the owner of Le Contesse and talking to you about my company is what I love to do most, because it represents the story of my life.
I created the winemaking company in 1976 with my wife. The land belonged to the Tiepolo Countesses of Venice, so it naturally followed to name our company “Le Contesse”. We planted the first Prosecco vineyard on this land using the Bellussera method, which to this day is kept with utmost care, because it represents our history and upholds our tradition. If you come and visit us, you’ll definitely want to take a walk under the vines.
Ever since I was a child I’ve loved pulling things apart and putting them back together again, in fact if I hadn’t been a winemaker I most certainly would have been a mechanic. This enthusiasm for machines, motors and technology has served as an added value to my passion for wine, because by applying it to tradition, it has become the key to the success of my sparkling wines.

MY PASSION, WINEMAKING

I enjoyed experimenting, I adored working with steel, I liked the idea of cleanliness, hygiene and the fact that the wine was undoubtedly most suited to an environment where it was able to maintain its natural smell and taste. In the meantime, my friends and I drove through the hills looking to find out more about this new wine, Prosecco, which would become the most famous aperitif of recent years.

In those years my first son was born: Davide, a ball of pure energy.
I eventually bought a small truck and a small bottling plant and travelled all over Italy with barrels and bottles in tow. It was exhausting, but Luigina and I never lost heart: we would load the truck and take off again, there was no time to waste because we had a family at home and a business to run.

One small vat eventually became two and then three, and by the time my second son Fabio was born, an entire building was used just to hold the barrels, which by then were already chilled. We eventually decided to hire an employee, we bought another truck and by the ‘90s we’d already reached 800,000 bottles.

FROM ITALY TO ABROAD AND THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC

As soon as the company was on it’s feet we decided to leave and take our product abroad. I took English lessons in the evenings and practised on weekends with my earphones and walkman, but the foreign experience turned out to be a real revelation.

One thing we never lacked: the passion and perseverance that allowed us to achieve our vision of making the highest quality Italian sparkling wine with our grapes, exporting it worldwide. And we achieved this goal too. Our wines are served at the tables of the most renowned restaurants throughout the world, from China to Russia, from Brazil to the United States, from Australia to Japan, not to mention all of Europe.

We have now become one of the most important wineries nation-wide: we own more than 200 hectares of land, of which 70 are certified as Organic. Organic is the path we’d like to pursue, for us, for you, for our sons and daughters, and for the Land. Organic is synonymous with regular controls, because companies that produce organic Prosecco are very closely monitored; it means passion, because due to the very strict regulations, controls and various other factors, organic production is hard work and requires an innate love and respect for nature; it is a healthy option, because organic products are natural and follow the seasons, thus offering a healthier lifestyle in sync with our environment; but above all, it stands for quality, of the product and of life, because organic cultivation means protecting our own future and that of generations to come. Our wine reflects our values, such as respect, honour, sincerity and authenticity… always.