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Spotlight: Terenzuola's Cinque Terre

A Wine to Transport You

A breezy seaside table for 2 on the Italian Riviera.

Breathtaking vistas.

The freshest local seafood, and a brisk, citrusy white from the vineyards perched high above.

Have you found paradise?

Well, almost – you're in Cinque Terre, five quaint fishing villages on a stretch of beautifully secluded coastline just north of Tuscany. 

In reality, we unfortunately won't be visiting anytime soon.

But, Ivan Giuliani of Terenzuola produces a keenly mineral white wine with a sense of place and history that will transport you to that tranquil scene overlooking the Mediterranean.  

Perhaps the extreme terroir is what makes the wine so evocative; the vines (Bosca, Vermentino, and Albarola) are planted on a patchwork of towering, terraced sandstone rock faces that drop sharply into the sea.
 
Certainly, it makes for painstaking viticulture, and Ivan takes no shortcuts, choosing to farm organically and even going so far as eschewing copper sulfate in favor of more natural, homemade citrus-derived treatments.

It all adds up to wine of sprightly vigor, minerality, and surprising depth for an incredibly modest price, considering the back-breaking manual work and the minuscule quantity produced – about 2,000 bottles a year!

 
So grab a bottle or two of this insanely rare and beautiful white, throw together your best Ligurian pesto pasta, head up to your roof, and let Cinque Terre take you to that al fresco table for 2...at least in your mind.

Terenzuola, Cinque Terre Bianco
Terenzuola, Cinque Terre Bianco, 2018 $27.99

White fruits, citrus, and salty sea spray minerality make this an obvious pairing for seafood, salads, and all things al pesto.

 

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