The wines of the Cinque Terre – the five fishing villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – are now among Italy’s most sought‑after products. Their reputation is built on a lineage that medieval poets already praised, 19th‑century painters immortalised, and a viticultural tradition that predates written history.
The earliest literary nods to the region’s wine come from two of Italy’s most celebrated authors. In Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, a bandit named Ghino di Tacco offers a captive “a very white tablecloth… two slices of roasted bread and a large glass of Vernaccia di Corniglia.” The passage, though brief, underscores that even in the 14th century the wine of Corniglia was considered a luxury fit for a feast.
A few decades later, Petrarch, in his poem Africa, writes of the “vineyards illuminated by the benevolent eye of the sun, most beloved in Bacchus, looking out on Monte Rosso and on the cornices of Corniglia, celebrated everywhere for their sweet wine.” He explicitly links the terroir of Monterosso with a “sweet wine” that, for the poet, seemed almost divine.
These citations do more than add a romantic veneer; they anchor the Cinque Terre’s vinous reputation in the canon of Italian culture. When a modern sommelier uncorks a bottle of Sciacchetrà and mentions Boccaccio’s glass, the reference is not a gimmick but a reminder that the region’s wines have long been part of the nation’s literary palate.
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The allure of Cinque Terre wine also infiltrated the visual arts. In the late 19th century, the Swiss painter Arnold Bocklin (1827‑1901) – famed for his mythic landscapes – spent evenings strolling from San Terenzo to Lerici. According to his wife, Bocklin “gladly went for a walk… because in the small town there was a smoked sailor tavern, where he willingly entered, both to do studies, both for the wine of the Cinque Terre, a very strong white wine that he liked very much.”
Even more illustrative is the account of Telemaco Signorini, a leading figure of the Macchiaioli movement. In his memoir Riomaggiore, Signorini recounts the post‑harvest ritual: “In September, after the harvest, the best grapes are spread in the sun to obtain the sciaccatras.” It is the first recorded use of the term “Sciacchetrà,” a name that would later become synonymous with the region’s most prized sweet wine.
These artistic testimonies, while anecdotal, help map a cultural geography in which the vineyards are as much a muse as a source of sustenance.
Roots in Antiquity
Vine cultivation in Liguria stretches back to the end of the 4th millennium BC, when the vine first appeared in the Mediterranean basin. By 2 400 BC, archaeological evidence points to a thriving wine trade in the eastern Mediterranean, and the Cinque Terre already served as a node in that network.
For centuries, wine was the lifeblood of the five villages, fuelling barter, maritime commerce, and the daily diet of fishermen and farmers alike. The progressive refinement of viticultural techniques turned a rugged hillside into a mosaic of terraces that, even today, echo the ingenuity of their ancient creators.
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The unique geography of the Cinque Terre turns winemaking into a literal uphill battle. The vines cling not to vertical walls but to terraces that rise no more than one metre above the ground, often only 50 centimetres from the soil. Dry‑stone walls – a hallmark of Ligurian landscape – protect the vines from the relentless mistral‑like sea breezes, reflect sunlight to aid ripening, and retain moisture in a terrain where water is scarce.
Harvesting remains a test of endurance. Workers descend to their knees, cut the bunches by hand, and then load them into woven baskets that must be carried for thousands of steps down the steep paths – a chore that, until recently, could only be completed on foot. The introduction of a narrow‑gauge rail line in the early 2000s eased transport but did not diminish the labor‑intensive nature of the craft. The result is a wine that “sweaty and precious,” as locals often describe it, bearing the imprint of every arduous step taken to bring it from vine to glass.
Out of this heroic toil emerges Sciacchetrà, the crown jewel of Cinque Terre’s enological output. The name, popularised only at the end of the 19th century, now denotes a sweet, amber‑gold liqueur with a distinctive almond after‑taste and a millennial heritage.
Production begins with the selection of the finest bunches of Bosco (the dominant white variety) and Albarola. After harvest, the grapes are hung in cool cellars for approximately fifty days, a patient waiting that only concludes after 1 November of the harvest year, when the stems are finally removed. Each berry is inspected one by one, and the resulting must—rich and concentrated—reaches an alcohol level of about 17 % ABV.
The wine is then aged in barrels until 1 November of the following year, a full twelve‑month maturation that allows the complex aromatics to develop fully. Because the yields are minuscule, Sciacchetrà is bottled in 0.375 L bottles, a size that emphasizes its status as a “special gift, the wine to be uncorked only for special occasions.”
In 1973, the Italian authorities granted the region a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status, uniting the three principal white grapes – Bosco ( 60 %), Albarola ( 20 %), and Vermentino ( 20 %) – under a single appellation. The DOC wine is a dry white, displaying an intense straw‑yellow hue and a distinctive “minerality” that spectrographic analyses trace to the high salt content deposited by sea‑borne winds.
The DOC also recognizes sub‑zones that reflect the micro‑climates of the individual villages:
Costa de Campu di Manarola – produced in the hillside of Manarola, this wine offers a dry, savory palate and a pronounced aroma.
Costa de Sera di Riomaggiore – derived from the Riomaggiore area, it shares the same crispness but often carries a slightly more pronounced citrus edge.
Costa da Pose di Volastra – the smallest of the trio, it is celebrated for its balanced acidity and subtle floral notes.
These “Coste” wines, together with Sciacchetrà, form a cohesive portfolio that pairs effortlessly with the local culinary traditions.
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The Cinque Terre’s gastronomic repertoire is as steeped in tradition as its vineyards. The DOC whites complement the region’s famed anchovies of Monterosso, chilled octopus salads, and a range of seafood dishes that dominate the local menu. They are equally at home alongside first‑course staples such as trenette al pesto or pansotti, as well as vegetable pies, focaccia, and the chick‑pea‑based farinata.
For an authentic “kilometre 0” experience, sommeliers recommend serving the wines slightly chilled, between 13 °C and 16 °C. The dry whites, with their briny backbone, act as a palate cleanser for oily fish, while Sciacchetrà—with its sweet almond finish—finds a natural partner in desserts featuring citrus or almond‑based pastries.
In recent years, the Cinque Terre wine sector has witnessed a resurgence of interest from both domestic connoisseurs and international collectors. The limited production volumes, combined with the region’s UNESCO World Heritage status, have turned each bottle into a coveted artifact.
The regional council, aware of the delicate balance between tourism, heritage preservation, and agricultural viability, has recently allocated €4 million to restore deteriorating stone walls and to fund a scholarship program for young agronomists willing to specialize in terraced viticulture.
As climate change threatens Mediterranean viticulture with hotter, drier summers, the Cinque Terre’s centuries‑old practices may serve as a blueprint for adaptation. The dry‑stone walls, for instance, not only shield vines from wind but also reflect solar radiation, helping maintain a stable micro‑climate. Moreover, the tradition of harvesting by hand—though labor‑intensive—allows growers to select only the optimal grapes, a quality control method that mechanisation cannot replicate.
From the medieval tablecloth of Boccaccio to the glass‑clinking toasts of today’s tourists, the wines of the Cinque Terre have consistently acted as a cultural bridge, linking past and present, land and sea, labor and celebration. The heroic effort required to coax a grape from a vertical terrace, the patient alchemy of Sciacchetrà, and the refined elegance of the DOC whites together embody a narrative that is at once local and universal.
The Cinque Terre’s wines are a living museum, a testament to a landscape that refuses to be tamed.
