The Sciacchetrà wine Over the last years the Cinque Terre wine Sciacchetrà has become famous in the whole world. It's a passito, a dessert wine, its “formula” has probably very old roots. At the beginning of the grape harvest the winegrower carefully selects the most beautiful bunches of grapes among his fields.

The Cinque Terre region in Liguria, Italy, is most famous for its Sciacchetrà (pronounced shah-keh-tra), a rare and precious sweet dessert wine. This "passito" wine is made from Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino grapes that are left to dry on racks for several months to concentrate the sugars before fermentation. The resulting drink is amber-colored, intensely sweet, and has notes of dried apricots, honey, and spices. Because the vineyards are located on incredibly steep, hand-built stone terraces that are inaccessible to machinery, the production of Sciacchetrà is extremely labor-intensive and limited, making it quite expensive. Beyond this dessert wine, the region is also known for its crisp, dry Cinque Terre DOC white wine, which is the perfect accompaniment to the local seafood and pesto. In 2026, another popular (though less traditional) refreshment for tourists is Limoncino, a local version of limoncello made from the lemons grown in the Monterosso area. Whether you are sipping a chilled white wine at a harbor-front bar in Vernazza or enjoying a small glass of Sciacchetrà with "cantucci" cookies, the drinks of Cinque Terre are a direct reflection of its rugged, sun-drenched coastal landscape.