ORIGINS AND PIONEERING VISION OF CARLO GANCIA
(1829-1850)
Born in 1829 in Narzole into a prosperous family of winemakers and wine merchants, Carlo Gancia soon transformed his curiosity for his father’s work into rigorous education in pharmacy and chemistry in Turin, where he developed a deep understanding of oenology and its underlying principles. While in Turin, he joined one of the oldest coffee and liquor shops, “Dettoni e C.”, where in 1847 he revolutionized the Vermouth recipe, by becoming the first to use Moscato grapes as the base for the infusion of aromatic herbs.
In 1848, he moved to Reims to learn the secrets of the méthode champenoise at the prestigious Piper Heidsieck. During this two-year apprenticeship, he conceived a visionary idea: to apply French winemaking techniques to Piedmont’s Moscato grapes, creating Italy’s first sparkling wine.
Foundation and the First Italian Sparkling Wine (1850-1865)
In 1850, upon returning to Italy, Carlo Gancia founded “Fratelli Gancia & C.” in Chivasso together with his brother Edoardo. For over fifteen years he dedicated his work to what was then a revolutionary ambition: applying the méthode champenoise to Piedmont’s Moscato grapes, recognizing their affinity with —and expressive potential alongside — to the great French grape varieties. After years of research and experimentation, he reached a unique oenological balance and, in 1865, created what history would come to recognize as the First Italian Sparkling Wine.
Initially known as “Moscato Champagne” or “Italian Champagne”, this wine quickly conquered international markets thanks to its unmistakable identity, becoming a symbol of Italian sparkling wine excellence worldwide.
At the same time, Carlo Gancia introduced the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vine cuttings from Champagne to Piedmont, producing a dry sparkling wine made entirely in Italy using the traditional method. This pioneering vision laid the foundations for what is today the Alta Langa Metodo Classico tradition, helping to establish Piedmont as one of the world’s great sparkling wine regions.
Canelli Winery and Industrial Expansion (from 1865)
On 11 May 1866, the growing need for facilities and infrastructure capable of supporting their ambitions, led the brothers Carlo and Edoardo Gancia to relocate the business to Canelli, a town destined to become the heart of Piedmontese sparkling wine culture.
The new headquarters, established in a former customs warehouse strategically located along the railway line, provided ideal conditions for the development of production: hills perfectly suited to the cultivation of Moscato grapes and deep underground cellars offering the ideal environment for the long ageing of sparkling wines. The excavation of the cellars and underground tunnels continued for several decades.
Despite the initial technical challenges, Gancia’s “Moscato Champagne” quickly conquered the market and, by the end of 1866, had already crossed Italy’s borders, embarking on its international journey.
The company’s success was further confirmed in 1870, when King Vittorio Emanuele II granted Casa Gancia the honour of bearing the “Royal Coat of Arms”, sealing the bond between the brand and Italian excellence.
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND THE FIRST WHITE VERMOUTH (FROM 1880)
In the 1870s, Gancia triumphed at the Exhibitions of Vienna (1873) and Paris (1878), obtaining recognition not only for Moscato Champagne, but also for Vermouth. The brand’s prestige was such that the Royal House authorized the use of the famous claim: “Bianco Gancia, Vermouth dell’Aristocrazia e della Regalità”.
In 1880, the company’s structure evolved into “Fratelli Gancia & C.” and, in 1893, Carlo entrusted the leadership to his son Camillo. Under his direction, the company launched the first White Vermouth made with Moscato di Canelli, awarded at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) for its undisputed quality: “For very fine white vermouth of good flavor.”
Camillo would also lead the challenging effort to replace foreign names with authentic Italian denominations, championing the identity of Italian products.
CAMILLO GANCIA, THE ARCHITECT OF CHANGE AND MODERNIZATION (1900–1950)
While Carlo had been the scientist and inventor, Camillo proved to be a visionary entrepreneur and strategist. In the early years of the twentieth century, production grew steadily, leading to the acquisition of a new winery in Santo Stefano Belbo, where Camillo focused the company’s offering on three flagship products: Moscato Champagne, Italian Champagne, and Moscato Spumante, alongside the production of Vermouth and traditional Piedmontese wines.
He combined product excellence with a pioneering communication strategy for his time, collaborating with some of the greatest artists of the era.
This vision gave rise to iconic posters that became milestones in the history of visual culture: from Cesare Saccaggi’s elegant “Moscato Spumante F.lli Gancia Canelli” in 1896 to Leonetto Cappiello’s works of the 1920s, including the dreamlike “Woman with the Stars” and the celebrated “Butterfly Woman” of 1922, which projected Gancia’s image into an international and modern dimension.
Camillo’s commitment also extended to cultural promotion and the protection of the industry: in 1928, on the occasion of the Turin International Exhibition, Gancia created an entire pavilion and produced a documentary with the Istituto LUCE to reveal the secrets of sparkling wine production to the public. At the same time, Camillo led the fight against product fraud and sophistication, guiding the creation of the Asti Consortium in 1932 to safeguard the origin and quality of the moscato grape variety.
This journey of excellence was further cemented in 1937 with the recognition as “The only Italian industrial winery producing Champagne” and with the honours of “Servants of the Royal Household” and “Suppliers to His Majesty the King.” With this extraordinary prestige, after the Second World War, F.lli Gancia successfully resumed its expansion towards the world’s leading markets.
INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS
(1950-2000)
In 1950, the company’s centenary was celebrated with the launch of Gancia Rosso, a new aperitif made with wine and aromatic herbs. For the occasion, French artist Lucien Cayol created “L’Apéritif centenaire”, a poster with a distinctly contemporary style for its time. During these same years, Gancia Americano made its first appearance, initially intended for international markets. Its debut in Italy would come only in 1966, achieving immediate success and soon becoming an iconic product among consumers.
With the arrival of the 1970s, exports reached all-time highs, consolidating the brand’s presence in key markets such as Belgium and France.
The drive for innovation continued in 1980 with the creation of Pinot di Pinot, the first sparkling wine made exclusively from Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris grapes.
Designed for the aperitif occasion, Pinot di Pinot became the protagonist of numerous advertising campaigns and sponsorships, linking its name to offshore racing in the 1990s and confirming its status, still today, as a benchmark in the Italian sparkling wine scene.
TOWARDS THE FUTURE: A GLOBAL IDENTITY ROOTED IN THE TERRITORY (from 2000)
In 2000, the company celebrated 150 years of worldwide success, strengthening an identity built on tradition and uncompromising quality. This prestigious anniversary marked the beginning of a phase of major projects, including the restoration, starting in 2003, of the Gancia Historic Cellars: a fascinating network of underground galleries that became the starting point for the UNESCO candidacy, leading the landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato and the Underground Cathedrals of Canelli to be recognized in 2014 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The value of this heritage was further reaffirmed in 2020, on the occasion of the brand’s 170th anniversary, with the issue of a commemorative stamp dedicated to the excellence of the Italian production system.
The latest years mark a new phase of industrial and corporate evolution for Gancia. Since 2023, the historic Canelli winery has also hosted the exclusive production for the European market of Russian Standard vodka, crafted according to the most rigorous quality standards and using only highly selected raw materials.
In 2025, the company’s ownership structure was deeply reorganized: after more than a decade as part of an international group, Gancia returned entirely under Italian ownership, reaffirming its historic bond with its territory and with the entrepreneurial tradition of its country.