The Sciacchetrà wine is the pride of the Cinque Terre winemakers. It is a passito, an Italian term that translates as “sweet” and that describe wines that have been made from dried grapes.
The Sciacchetrà is primarily produced with Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino grapes cultivated in the terraced slopes of Cinque Terre. After the harvest, the grapes are left to dry away from the sun, for over 70 days in well-ventilated areas. After being carefully destemmed, sometimes by hand, the selected grapes are pressed and the wine is generally aged in pear and cherry wood barrels for at least 1 year (or 3 years in the case of Sciacchetrà Riserva).
The result is a sweet nectar that was praised by poets and writers such as Pliny, Boccaccio, Petrarch and Gabriele D’Annunzio. The Sciacchetrà is perfect with dry sweets and blue cheese. It is also a so-called meditation wine, excellent to drink alone.
Where does this wine get its peculiar name from? There are many theories about the origin and meaning of Sciacchetrà. Some say that it comes from the archaic “Shekar” word, which meant fermented drinks in Hebrew or denoted the wine offered to the Gods in ancient Greece. According to the local tradition, the name stems from the dialect of eastern Liguria, combining the words “sciac e trai” (squeeze and leave it there)… perhaps an indication that refers to how this unique wine comes to life.
Back from the past: Sciacchetrà aged in terracotta amphorae
As mentioned above, the Sciacchetrà is usually made with old-style artisanal methods that can include ageing in wood barrels and manual destemming.
Winemaker Heydi Bonanini goes a step further in the production of an even more exclusive kind of Sciacchetrà. His ‘Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà Anfora’ ages for 18 months in amphorae made of terracotta, just like it was done in a long-forgotten era. Another characteristic is that the grapes for this wine are always dried and shelled manually, one by one, and then they are pressed with the feet.
Heydi explained to Discover Portovenere Blog:
“I wanted to undertake a journey that went back in time, bringing the wines back to the old materials used in ancient times. […]
Aging wines in amphoras is becoming more popular but it is a double-edged sword: on the one hand the micro-oxygenation leads to early maturation, on the other hand, you have to be careful because not all wines are ideal for the terracotta amphora. The Sciacchetrà ages very well with this material. Its maturation (which it normally reaches after a very long time) can be anticipated a bit in the amphora, but we are still talking about years – from at least 1 year up to 1 year and a half”.
Heydi Bonanini’s winery – Azienda Agricola Possa – is one of the carefully selected partners that provide authentic experiences for the guests of Grand Hotel Portovenere. During the ‘Wine of Cinque Terre’ experience, guests explore the heroic vineyards of the Possa Winery and taste the local wines under Heydi’s expert guidance.
“The Sciacchetrà tasting is always surprising because it allows to show and compare the same wine. The starting point is the same, but during the comparative tasting the wines look like two different products based on the barrique or amphora ageing.”
Heydi Bonanini (Azienda Agricola Possa)
WineMag.it (Italian journal of wine and gastronomy) included two of Heydi’s Sciacchetrà wines in its guide of Top 100 Best Italian Wines for 2022.
[photo credits: Azienda Agricola Possa]
very educational, thank you! I was putting some order in my small wine collection, came across this 375ml bottle of this 2005 wine that we brought back with us from Cinque Terre a few years ago. I had somewhat forgotten about the true DNA of this wine, went online and found your article, can’t wait to “meditate” with its help….
Thank you for stopping by and for the lovely comment, “cin cin”, enjoy!