SCIACCHETRA’ 2016 : the tradition goes on…

Also this year, like in 2015, thanks to a dry and sunny climate from June to September, we were able to pick up and put to dry about 2 tons of grapes destined to Sciacchetrà.

The harvest in our terraces takes place using exclusively our mythical baskets of hand-woven chestnut bark, called “corbe”, where the clusters of the different type of  grapes like Bosco, Vermentino and Arbarola, are placed with extreme caution in order to avoid breakage of the berries that would compromise its drying.
The “corbe” are carried on the shoulders to the nearest monorail and then taken to our balcony where we proceed to transfer the grapes, cluster by cluster, in small wooden boxes (normally used to carry for fruits and vegetables) where they lay for about 1 week.

After the drying period in direct sunlight, the grapes, with their precious contents are transferred in a closed, dry and ventilated room, where they stay for about 2/3 weeks.

Then after about one month from their collection we start its processing in our family winery called “Il Torchio”. The crushing of the grapes takes place with the feet and always using the same barrel of chestnut wood, where the fermentation will occur.

After its fermentation the must is racked from the barrel and placed in glass carboys that after about 1 year and a half will be bottled. The remains of the skins are left in the barrel to which will be added part of the pressed dry wine, that will remain for about 10 days.

The contact with the dried grape skins give a more gentle taste and higher alcohol degrees with respect to the dry wine, creating another typical wine of our tradition, that our ancestors used to call “Reinforced wine ” or “Wine passed on the skins.”

Also for the future we will constantly be committed in producing Sciacchetrà, which is the maximum expression of quality and tradition of the Cinque Terre.