Lunar Wine of Cinque Terre

Discover ‘Lunar Wine’ in the Cinque Terre

Be whisked away by the legendary and rugged stretch of Italian Riviera coastline, the Cinque Terre. Consisting of five remote seaside villages dangling from cliffs mirrored on the crystal waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Cinque Terre moves the heart like few places in the world. Nearly inaccessible by car, the Cinque Terre provides a uniquely intimate experience, a hidden gem for your honeymoon or romantic vacation.

The Cinque Terre Vineyards

Tucked away from the rest of the world, the Cinque Terre is one of the more memorable viticulture zones in Italy. The Cinque Terre vineyards are planted on perilously steep slopes, close enough to the sea that the spray from the breaking waves is able to form a fine mist over the vines. In the past, the Cinque Terre’s people would anchor fishing boats below the terraced vineyards. Baskets laden with grapes were then lowered from above into these small boats which then sailed round to the otherwise inaccessible village.

Sciacchetra

Sciacchetra is an ancient and legendary raisin wine made from grapes left to dry in the Italian sun. Gold colored with amber reflex, Sciacchetra has an intense honey scent – the quintessence of the Cinque Terre. Historically praised by the likes of poets Boaccaccio and Petrarch, Sciacchetra was described as ‘lunar wine’ by Pliny the Elder. And surely the wine is out of this world with 18 percent alcohol, while most wine is only 11 percent. A dessert wine, Sciacchetra is paired well with biscotti. As with all dessert wines, this one should be sweeter than the food accompanying it. The slight bitterness of the biscotti balances the intense sweetness of the wine. Sciacchetrà also works well with a slice of panettone.