The quintessence of Cinque Terre – The Sciacchetrà wine
September 29, 2010 by Anna Merulla / Tags: Cinque Terre , gastronomy , harvesting , Sciacchetrà , terraced vineyards , wine tasting / 1 Comment
In wine tasting tours you can taste this raisin wine, gold-coloured with amber reflex. It has an intense honey scent. The taste is sweet, full-bodied, persistent and pleasant. It is served after the meal or with a dessert. Just a small glass of Sciacchetrà pairs perfectly with biscotti. As with all dessert wines, this one should be sweeter than the food accompanying it.
The Sciacchetrà wine takes its name from the Ligurian dialect which means: (sciac) = press grape and (tra) = removing grape dregs during its fermentation.
It is produced only with selected grapes, after drying in airy attics away dampness and direct sunlight.
The wine growers use newer “conveniences” for the grape harvest, that is a motorized monorail system to carry the grapes from the terraced vineyards on the steep mountains down to the roadway, for transport to the winery. The ingenious monorail is big enough to carry the driver and the precious grape.
In the past, Cinque terre’s people used to anchor small fishing boats, immediately below the terraced vineyards. Then, baskets laden with grapes were lowered from above the hills into these small boats which then sailed round to the other inaccessible villages.
When you explore Cinque Terre you should taste this lovely and unusual wine, which is hardly available on the market. The wine producers are always at disposal for visiting their cellars and vineyards.
You might also like:
“Cinque Terre and its main attraction“
“The Blue path and Via dell’ Amore in Cinque Terre“
“Cinque Terre – a real paradise on earth“
I’ve heard so much about the Cinque Terre for hitching and its secluded beauty but never thought about organizing a wine tour there. Thanks for the info!