Italy — wine

Cinque Terre

One of Italy's most dramatically terraced and challenging wine regions, clinging to the Ligurian Riviera cliffs between Genova and La Spezia. The impossibly steep stone-walled terraces overlook the Mediterranean and are worked by hand — no machinery can reach most vineyards. Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino produce the region's distinctive dry whites, while the passito Sciacchetra (made from sun-dried grapes) is one of Italy's rarest and most prized sweet wines.

Year Rating Notes
2023 Warm Ligurian Riviera season; Bosco and Vermentino of exceptional mineral freshness from the cliff terraces
2022 Good vintage; wines of characteristic saline, mineral freshness — ideal for Ligurian seafood
2021 Cooler Mediterranean year; lighter, aromatic whites with the sea-spray freshness of the terraces
2020 Hot season; concentrated Bosco with typical mineral lift despite the warmth
2019 Benchmark vintage; finest Cinque Terre whites in recent years and exceptional Sciacchetra