Moonstruck in Luni: The New Cantine Bosoni

Maybe I’ve been inspired by the recent Blue Moon, but while the summer here in Italy seems to be ending, and quite abruptly at that, I’d like to flashback to a beautiful start to the summer, with the inauguration of the new winery at Cantine Lvnae.

This party was long-awaited, delayed by the Covid moment. But finally on June 10, 2023, the Bosoni family put the gorgeous architecture of the new winery on display. Paolo, Diego and Debora as always made the guests feel welcome, opening wide the doors to Liguria’s biggest cantina.

Over the years, I’ve had the privileged position of watching this new enterprise evolve: Italian Grapevine has featured Cantine Lvnae before , but one never tires of talking about what they’re up to next, just like one never tires of their Vermentino! The project took at least 10 years to complete, and I’ve been watching with anticipation.

Cantine Lvnae is a winery for all seasons, and I’ve been there, as these photos show.

So here you go, ta-da! and drum roll please…. The launch of Cantine Lvnae started with a limited private tasting for journalists and bloggers (like yours truly), and ended with a big party and dinner literally in the vineyards, white-linen clad tables set up between the rows of vines. Local authorities like the President of the Region of Liguria were also in attendance.

A very theatrical entrance leads one to descend into the cellar; the lighting is dramatic, and the soils are on display.

Follow me, I’ll take you there….

The Bottaia is where the wines age. They have vessels of all sizes, from 200 hectoliters to barriques and amphorae.  The soft lighting makes you think it would be a nice place to take a rest, and clearly the wines think so too!

What I loved was how the public spaces for receiving and hosting were mixed with the actual working spaces; it is all very fluid, with no real spatial separation or barriers.

What is striking is the architecture: the choice of colors and materials that both blend in with the land, and recall its very fabric. The place is textural, with clean lines but warm colors.
The message that emerges is investment in quality, with an eye to using everything that is Italian: the entire production cycle is in a spanking new, super clean environment.

During their presentation, both Diego and Paolo made a point of how their collaborators, all the workers at the winery, are an extended family for them, and they have the well-being of these people at heart because, as they pointed out, nowadays we all spend more time at work than we do at home, so it’s a good idea for the workplace to feel like home. Their immense respect for the land and the people who work it is evident everywhere.

Safeguarding for the future, there are solar panels on the roof, and a geothermal plant as well. The winery aims to be super-sustainable, and of course they never use herbicides.
Displaying their history and their vision, the Bosoni family knows all about showcasing their heritage.

And while we’ve all debated whether we prefer Etichetta Grigia, Etichetta Nera or Labianca (and for those in the know, Etichetta Nera Numero Chiuso – wow wow wow!), Bosoni is ‘more than just Vermentino’. I particularly love their Albarola, not to mention the Vermentino Nero and Ciliegiolo. Diego and Debora are the fourth generation, those who will inherit their father Paolo’s work and shepherd it into the future. Paolo started from humble dimensions, making the break from Trebbiano and Sangiovese to plant local native grape varieties and focus on Vermentino.

In a context of stunning contemporary architecture, this uniquely Italian combo of history and innovation makes you feel rooted in the past with a vision toward the future, Italian-style.

Kudos once again to the Bosoni family and Cantine Lvnae.

Yours truly reporting from Liguria