Sciacchetrà: Cinque Terre sweet wine, photos showing production

Cinque Terre sweet wine

SCIACCHETRÀ

Sciachetrà, erroneously called "Sciacchetrà", is the famous Cinque Terre sweet wine now known throughout the world. It is a drink made to be sipped slowly. As well as presenting qualities of sweetness, it has a velvety finish perfect for cheeses or dessert. It is the product of the sun-kissed terraces of Cinque Terre, which enjoy a coastal climate and healthy and salty-iodic sea air.

Following the harvest in the month of September, the best grapes are placed on a trellis to dry for three months in cool and airy rooms, away from the sun. Following drying, the grapes are taken to the cellar for pressing. Sciacchetrà is made with the Bosco grape variety (60%) as well as with the Albarola and Vermentino (40%). Bosco grapes are particularly suited as the skin is tougher and therefore more resistant to drying. It displays a straw-yellow and golden colour in its youngest form, shifting to amber and again gold as it matures. The nose features a fruit to spice base with nuances of apple, apricot and acacia honey. To the palate it is sweet and slightly flavourful. A bottle of Sciacchetrà (usually 375 cl) may retail at an above-average price, not only due to the quality of the product, but also because of the low yield of this grape and the enormous difficulties encountered in the production stage: we are dealing with a rich and unique area, but one presenting extreme challenges when it comes to agriculture despite the terracing. Most results are obtained manually to this day.

Photogallery:

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