Winery: Possa di Bonanini
Region: Cinque Terre
Production Area: There are about four hectares (9.88 acres) scattered in the Cinque Terre around Monterosso, with two areas outside the Cinque Terre, one in Palmaria and one in Montaretto, although the most important part is the one that gave life to the company, the two hectares of Possaitara (Riomaggiore). The vines are planted on man-made terraces from sea level up to an elevation of 400 meters (1312 feet).
Annual Production: 20,000 Bottles
Why We Chose It:
The villages known in Italian as Cinque Terre (Five Lands) are some of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. This area is famous for its picture-perfect scenery and its hiking trails, but not for its wine. However, it is the cultivation of grapes that contributes greatly to the preservation of the land.
There is a long history of winemaking in Cinque Terre, and there is a hard-working group of winemakers dedicated not just to keeping ancient grape varieties from going extinct, but also from keeping the vineyards (and much of the other land) from falling into to sea.
The Cinque Terre became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1997 thanks to the unique, manmade terraced landscape. The dry stone retaining walls, which hold up the terraces on which local grape growers cultivate their vines, serve as the backbone of the Cinque Terre.
These walls help prevent landslides in a particularly prone area and are fundamental in keeping the region and villages safe, but they are crumbling at an astonishing rate. Fall 2019 was particularly damaging; a string of exceptional back-to-back heavy rainstorms caused many walls to collapse, requiring urgent repair. It will take years to repair the damage caused in just one short season.
Read our blog post, The Heroic Winemaking of Cinque Terre
“At this rate, the number of walls that collapse will always be greater than those we can rebuild. What makes matters worse are the prohibitive costs involved: we are all micro-vintners,” says Riccardo Fino, winemaker and president of the Riomaggiore Vintners Association. “The Cinque Terre National Park has recognized the problem and has earmarked resources specifically for the dry stone walls. But even with those and other funds that arrive from the EU for rural development, it's just not enough for this monumental task. The future of the Cinque Terre is in the hands of all those who are able to assist us.”
Samuele Heydi Bonanini is one of the heroic winemakers of Cinque Terre. He started his winery in 2004, but his work to make it operational goes back another 10 years. Not only are his knowledge, dedication and commitment impressive, but his wine is delicious! We often bring our guests to taste his wine and visit his terraces.
In early 2020 before the pandemic, there was a crowdfunding effort called Grapes and Heroes that endeavored to raise awareness and money for the winemakes of Cinque Terre. Heydi Bonanini was one of the featured winemakers. The campaign was cut short when the pandemic was declared, but they were able to raise over 12,000 Euros before that (the goal was 50,000).
We continue to support Heydi and the other winemakers of Cinque Terre through direct purchases of wine for the wine club, and through our small-group tours in the area.
Read more about sustainable tourism in Cinque Terre, Italian Riviera finding new ways to manage tourism impact on historic hiking trails
More about the Winery:
Tasting Video:
Tasting Notes
Winery: Poderi Rosso Giovanni di Rosso Lionello
Region: Piedmont
Production Area: 12 hectares (29.6 acres) in Monferrato d'Asti
Annual Production: 55,000 Bottles
Why We Chose It:
We were given a bottle of Barbera d'Asti "San Bastian" from Poderi Rosso Giovanni by a friend last summer. We opened it up to have with a meal a few months later and were so impressed that we wanted to learn more about this winery and winemaker located not too far from our home in Turin.
A deep dive into the Barbera grape and a dedication to sustainable practices are the hallmarks of this winery. Lionello Rosso is a 3rd-generation winemaker (the winery began in 1930) who is working on land owned by both sets of grandparents. Located between Asti and Alba, he is in the heart of the Barbera area and is wholly dedicated to producing wines that are the purest expression of Barbera.
They are currently producing five different types of Barbera, all made with grapes from their land, aiming for quality with careful work in the vineyard and in the cellar.
The property itself is breathtaking and it's a typical Piedmontese cascina.
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