June 12th-Sciacchetrà

Sciacchetrà is a DOC sweet wine made in Cinque Terre, Italy. On a recent trip to the region, I had the opportunity to stop at Cantina Sassarini for a visit. This wine is not exported to the US, so the best option for sampling it is to travel to the region. It is made with a blend of 2 indigenous white grapes, Bosco and Albarola. The grapes are left on the vine to raisin (also known as passito) for an extra 2 months past the normal harvest date to concentrate the flavors and sugars. According to my host, Marzia (pictured on the left), the winemaker, the grapes lose about 30% of their volume during this process. The healthy grapes are then used in the making of this wine. If unhealthy fruit is incorporated into the wine, their off flavors will be noticeable in the final product. Due to this, the wine is only made in vintages when the grapes are healthy enough, skipping years when grapes don’t meet the quality standards. The grapes are then harvested and crushed then left to ferment. The wine is then aged for a total of 18 months prior to its release. They also produce a reserva Sciacchetrà where the wine is aged for a total of 36 months.  

The bottle I tried was her basic Sciacchetrà. The wine was a medium amber color. It has aromas of dried apricots, candied orange peel, nutmeg, candied lemon peel, and honey. On the palate, this sweet wine displayed enough acid to balance the concentrated sugar. It was high in alcohol and contributed to the full body of the wine. Flavors of candied and dried fruit were combined with baking spices to resemble fruit cake, but in a far better form than we are used to. This wine has a long, luscious finish. It would be fantastic chilled on a cooler day with aged and soft cheeses or with a holiday panettone. I just happened to be traveling to the nearby region so I took a detour to the mediterranean eden of Cinque Terre to see the vineyards and taste the wines. Not only is wine delicious but the adventure of seeking it out is also extremely educational!