HISTORY OF DOMAINE Enoteca Bisson was born in 1978 when Pierluigi Lugano fell in love with the wines of the Ligurian coastline. He began as a trader in small lots of bulk wine, later became a wine merchant and finally a winemaker in his own right. He now splits his time between his busy wine shop and wine cellar. He works hand in hand with local growers from pruning to harvest then carefully vinifies the different lots of grapes. Pierluigi is a serious student of oenology and is an expert on the local grape varieties. His passion extends to the preservation of local traditions and this is reflected in the distinctive character and personality of his large range of wines from the Cinque Terre region.

COMPSITION OF DOMAINE It takes a heroic effort to cultivate vines on the steep slopes of the Ligurian coastline high above the Mediterranean Sea. Mechanization of vineyard tasks is out of the question, everything must be done by hand. Only truly passionate winegrowers are willing to carry on the traditions that have come down through the generations since the ancient Greeks first planted vines on the steep, stony slopes here. Lugano works closely with several small, local growers. He believes, as we do, that wine is made in the vineyards and he closely controls the work done in the field. Further, he has embarked on an ambitious program to purchase his own parcels in prime zones throughout the Cinque Terre and surrounding areas. He staunchly defends indigenous, and increasingly rare, grape varieties and works tirelessly to ensure that they do not disappear for future generations of wine lovers.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION The small, but very well equipped, cellar is designed so that each lot of grapes can be vinified individually. With the exception of an occasional experiment with barrel aging, Lugano vinifies his entire range of wines in stainless steel to preserve the essential fruit of each vineyard site and each grape type.

Lugano's Prosecco is the result of his collaboration with a colleague with vineyards situated in the Colli dei Trevigiani of the Veneto. This lightly sparkling wine is particularly distinctive as Lugano insists on producing our cuvee in a bone-dry style. The Prosecco is bottled early to maintain its freshness and is released in early March of the year following the harvest.

Ciliegiolo is a traditional red grape variety that is rarely seen. It is light and fruity and, when presenting it, we group this wine with our classic series of Rosés. Lugano proudly maintains this variety in both the Trigoso e Campegli vineyards situated in the hills above Chiavari.

Vermentino, Liguria's dominant white grape variety, finds exquisite expression at the Bisson winery. Lugano produces two separate cuvees: the Vermentino "Montebernardo", from the site of the same name, is full bodied, with mint, mineral, and tea leaf flavors; the Vermentino "Vignaerta" is a more elegant wine, leaner but with great complexity, showing bright acidity, brilliant length, its strong minerality leavened by notes of citrus, almond, and licorice.

Lugano's Bianchetta Genovese, known as "U Pastine" (local dialect indicating a very special product), comes again from a rare white grape found only in northwestern Italy. Pierluigi has saved several parcels from extinction and creates a truly unique white wine that is quite broad-shouldered and satisfying.

His Pigato is quite limited in production as it is difficult to produce and even more difficult to find the "true" variety. A wine of finesse without the body of the preceding whites but with unique and intriguing flavors that marry exceedingly well with the marriage of fish and herbs that is traditional in Lugurian cuisine

The Marea "Cinque Terre" is made from a blend of several traditional local grape varieties: Bosco, Vermentino, and Albarola. The vineyards that produce this wine are situated near Volastra in Riomaggiore, the heart of the breathtaking Cinque Terre region. In this instance, Lugano opts to leave this cuvée on the lees for an extended period of time, respecting the old traditions of the region. The result is a full-bodied, earthy wine of immense character, almost briny, with a deeper golden tint to its color than is found in his other whites.

Finally, his Müsaico, the sole red, is made from a blend of 70% Dolcetto (known locally as "Ormeasco") and 30% Barbera grown near Trigoso e Campegli. A classically fruity wine that showcases the character of both of its parents, this is a deeply colored wine with the flavors of game, smoke, and berries.