We are in Monterosso, on the hill where you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the sea, the historic center of Monterosso and the Mesco Promontory.
Vetua Winery is a small family business led by Rosy and her husband Sebastiano. They are simple and genuine as their wines. We'll try to sum-up in this article their story and their daily routine in the vineyards. But believe us, when you visit Vetua vineyards is hard to say good-bye.
The terraced vineyards, with the perfect sun exposition, are cultivated with Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino (the main grapes in Cinque Terre) and other ancient grapes as Brugiapaja, Frapelà e Piccabun. The work here, as usual in Cinque Terre, is manual. Before the arrival of the monorail they used the "teleferica" an old system to transport the grapes harvested, from the hill to the road.
Rosy inherited this land form her father that cultivated it for his entire life for hobby. In fact part of the few bottles of wine he produced were took to the Cantina 5 Terre (a social wine Cooperative) and part were gifted to friends and relatives.
In 2010 Rosy and Sebastiano decided to take over the vineyards and they started their path into wine business. "It was a leap in the dark - says Rosy - and we began with the tools used by my father. I mean we started with what was already there. The results was very satisfying and unexpected" concludes Rosy. Rosy and Sebastiano have their specific roles in the company: Sebastiano takes care of the vineyards and makes wine, while Rosy help him in the work in the vineyards and at the same time she takes care of the design of the labels. Their two offsprings are following the same direction: Sara, the oldest, helps her mother in the design of the labels and in the communication and promotion of the wines, while Lorenzo, the youngest, is studying Enology at University.
Vetua Winery produces 4 wines: 2 whites, 1 red and the Sciacchetrà. Their purpose is to produce wines different from others following the rules of the local tradition. Long maceration on the skin at no controlled temperature and a long maturation before bottling. The result is a Cinque Terre white wine darker (strong yellow with gold reflection), more consistent and richer with a very good capacity of aging. The Vetua wine is their flagship product, while the "Ö" wine is a wine realized to celebrate the 10 years of activity of the winery. Its original name derives from the most common way to say "Hi" in Monterosso. On the back of the label there is the explanation:
U munterussin dov'u và và, ma se ti ghe dixi "Ö" u se sente a cà.
That means: "The inhabitant of Montererosso everywhere he goes when he hear "Ö" he feels at home". The production is very limited: about 4.000 bottles a year. Their wines are pure and sapid, like those that were once made here in the Cinque Terre. Strong wines, like the farmers who created the terraced vineyards overlooking the sea.
The philosophy of Vetua winery is based on respect for nature and biodiversity (they don't use any chemical treatment on the vineyards). Guided by this respect they try everyday to enhance and protect this beautiful but fragile territory.
To watch our visit to Vetua Winery have a look here:
To buy their wines:
Credits: Vetua winery website
