Viticulture
There have been vineyards here for about a thousand years. Mostly south-facing, overlooking the Gulf of Genoa, the vines tumble down almost to the sparkling, turquoise sea and are set in terraces on steep, sometimes precipitous slopes, shored up by man-made dry stone walls. The soil here is organically poor but high in minerals, ideal for quality wine production.

The Cinque Terres special climate and soil give its wines a unique character. Mild, rainy springs encourage bud and shoot development, while the dry, hot summers and long hours of bright sunlight, tempered by soft maritime breezes, ensure a smooth and gentle maturation. The harvest regularly begins as early as mid-September.

Vine Varieties

Bosco
A wide variety of vines have flourished here for centuries, of which several are now all but extinct. The most widely planted autochthonous grape variety is Bosco. It is found only in the Cinque Terre and in a few other areas of the Ligurian coast in north-east Italy, and expresses the salty notes of the nearby sea. The name means wood or forest and it might in fact be called the white grape with the heart of a red, as it produces sturdy, full-bodied wines with a strong character, complex aromas and good acidity, as long as the influence of oxygen is kept to a minimum during élévage.

Vermentino
This ancient grape variety is widely planted around the shores of the northwest Mediterranean. In the Cinque Terre it actually predates Bosco and thrives even in exceptionally dry summers. The mature vine produces wonderfully smooth, fragrant wines redolent with fruit and flower flavours. Allowed to dry naturally, the vermentino grape also forms a noble Botrytis mould that produces sweet wines with a creamy, full-bodied mouthfeel and contributes to the unique style of Sciacchetrà.

Albarola
This ubiquitous grape variety is most widely planted on the middle and higher slopes of the Cinque Terre. It belongs to the Trebbiano family and is grown all along the southern Ligurian coast; it is also called trebbiano nostrale, albarosa and bianchetto genovese. Albarola has adapted beautifully to the Cinque Terre and can survive to a venerable age, producing tight bunches of very small grapes and crisp, delicate and fragrant wines.

Cinque Terre D.O.C. Buranco

Vinification
For Cinque Terre D.O.C. Buranco we select bunches individually for ripeness. They are picked by hand, destemmed and left to macerate naturally for about 24 hours. The must is drawn off by gravity and the fermentation takes place under temperature control below 20°C. The wine matures on its lees, 20% in oak barrels and the rest in steel tanks for five months, with regular bâtonnage to enhance the highly aromatic qualities of the grapes.

Tasting Characteristics
Cinque Terre D.O.C. Buranco is a clear, gold-flecked straw colour. In common with all full-bodied wines, the bouquet must be given time to open. The first impressions are of a sea-salty, mineral tang, but as the wine relaxes floral notes are released, especially hawthorn and orange blossom, that blend splendidly with an undertone of vanilla.
The mineral notes on the palate speak of the Cinque Terre soil and, in combination with the iodine tang of the sea and the full, flowered mouthfeel, vividly reflect the individuality and persistent character of the region. Such a heritage makes the wine a natural partner for the fruits of the sea; oysters, clams, mussels and squid among many, but the wine’s depth and richness also provide a superb match for fish cooked with aromatic herbs.

The Cinque Terre has never had a reputation for its red wine beyond local consumption. To create a red wine which could justifiably represent the region beyond its borders required a break with tradition, a clear strategy and sound know-how. And a determination to prove that the region had the potential to produce wines which could hold their own outside the local market. At BURANCO we experimented in the vineyard and the winery. Based on the results we decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. In our trials, the Cabernet Sauvignon proved to be very resilient: it produces superb grapes even in vastly varied weather conditions. The region’s poor rocky soil is also ideal for Syrah and helps to accentuate the variety’s spicy, peppery notes.

Vinification
The grapes, around 50% Cabernet and 50% Syrah are picked at full sugar and polyphenolic ripeness. A long maceration includes a pigeage twice a day, punching down the cap of skins to extract the ideal amount of colour and flavour and imbue the wine with the very essence of its native soil. The wine is aged in French oak barrels (both barrique and tonneau), with a 30% proportion of new barrels each year. The wine is ready for drinking about two years after the harvest.

Tasting Characteristics
The colour is ruby red with good intensity and depth, and the aroma full and persistent. Along with the typical sea breeze and mineral aromas, there are also notes of red fruits, sweet pepper, wet slate and flint. The palate is exuberant, intense and persistent. The first impressions are of the fruit and spice notes typical of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, but these slowly give way to the mineral and marine undertones that make this red wine truly unique. The wine is ideal with meat or fish cooked on the ciappa (a local term for a slate cooking slab heated over an open flame), braised goat and offal. It is also an excellent complement to hard cheeses, like mature pecorino or the famous fossa cheese, matured in cool, damp caves.

Sciacchetrà (pronounced ”shack-eh-trà”) is an ancient and legendary wine made from naturally dried grapes. It is the quintessence of the Cinque Terre and is now almost as rare as it is famous. At BURANCO, we recently recommenced production, as have a few others, so that this unique wine is again beginning to re-establish the reputation of the Cinque Terre’s terroir.

Vinification
We select the best bunches of grapes (70% Bosco, 25% Vermentino, 5% Albarola) from each vineyard terrace. The grapes are placed in shady, well-ventilated places to dry out. At precisely the right point of dehydration, they are carefully checked by hand, then destemmed and gently crushed. The fermentation is spontaneous and the maceration continues for about a week. The skins are then separated from the must and the fermentation continues until the wine reaches its balance, usually with an alcohol level of 14,5% and residual sugar of 120 grams/litre. Fining is done in stainless tanks, where the wine is kept anaerobically to preserve its intensity and fruit.

Tasting Characteristics
Sciacchetrà has an amber topaz colour with light golden flecks. The nose is persistent and fresh, with overtones of apricot and juicy pineapple, infused with the aromatic herbs of the Mediterranean maquis; in some cases, candied citrus fruit aromas can also emerge.

Although a sweet wine, Sciacchetrà is never cloying. Again, the sea imparts its influence through a constant flow of sea breezes, and gently medicinal flavours are woven into a smooth, creamy and pure palate. Sciacchetrà’s mineral element displays its Cinque Terre origins and its style is beautifully matched to the gastronomy of the region: traditional biscotti, Genoese pandolce, mature pecorino, blue cheeses and, superbly, goose liver cooked with a dash of Sciacchetrà.

Beekeeping has long been an important activity in the BURANCO valley. Its particularly favourable microclimate ensures that the bees have a constant supply of flowering trees and shrubs throughout the year. February provides sweet-smelling wild heather, March an abundance of yellow sheep’s sorrel, known locally as ”bread and wine” because of its nutritional properties. April brings cherry, apricot and peach blossoms, in May the orange and lemon trees flower, acacia comes in June and in July there are blackberries aplenty. From August through to the end of January, this splendid coastal area provides a range of native flora and Mediterranean maquis flowers. October and November see the cane apple and medlar in bloom, plants whose pollen is particularly beneficial to the hive brood.

The Cinque Terre’s mild climate and winter flowering plants mean that hives can feed a brood even in winter and the first honeycombs can be collected in spring. Far from the pollution of the city, our coastal hills are ideal beekeeping terrain. The honey produced is natural, pure, full of flavour, and unique on account of the region’s extraordinary diversity of plants.

Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet. Indeed, the area beyond the Mediterranean was originally defined as the lands where the olive tree no longer grows. The steep coastal slopes of the Cinque Terre have been terraced and cultivated for centuries. Every piece of available land, no matter how poor or inaccessible, has been put to some use, and often planted with olive trees.

Our olives are harvested by hand and caught in nets strung between the trees. A well-tended tree yields about 15 kilos of olives which, in turn, makes about two litres of olive oil.

Our olive groves extend mainly along a north-east slope, the ideal spot for slow ripening. Top-quality olives are produced and the resultant extra virgin oil is light and fruity. Our olives are cold-pressed immediately after harvest, and our olive oil keeps its distinctive flavour and freshness at length.

Olive oil is a natural component of healthy eating. It is the only oil whose production does not require the use of chemicals. Natural methods ensure that the many vitamins and nutrients remain intact for much longer. Olive oil passes on the strength and vitality of the tree from which it comes, helping to keep our minds alert and our bodies fit into old age.

Ever since the Ancient Greeks, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace and health. The olive tree lives for centuries, surviving many generations. Our own olive grove was originally planted in the late Middle Ages. It has been passed down to us across the centuries and, in turn, will be passed on by us.

The lemon tree is synonymous with a mild Mediterranean climate. It only prospers where temperatures stay above freezing in winter, when there is sufficient warmth in the air but enough moisture in the soil, and no strong winds to damage flower or fruit.

Thanks to its ideal climate and setting, the citrus groves of Monterosso have been famous for centuries for the exceptional quality of their fruit. Lemons grow here without the need for insecticides or fungicides.

The fruit ripens mostly from December onwards, right through the winter. The golden globes hanging on the boughs during the darkest months seem to be nature’s way of offering us a reminder of the warm sunlight that has been, and that will soon return.

Lemons symbolise health-giving sunlight in more ways than one. Known for centuries for its anti-microbial properties, the juice of a lemon, as an anti-oxidant, will prevent food going brown. Bacteria, fungi, viruses – organisms that thrive in dank, dark places – retreat before the sharp, sun-filled lemon. In addition, lemon pith contains an anti-inflammatory substance similar to cortisone, but without this drug’s unfortunate side effects.

The locals say that the light of the lemon can penetrate the darkness of those suffering from depression. A gift of a couple of lemons plucked at the same time from the same tree is a way of offering someone an elixir of light and good health.