Bisson

Talking about Bisson winery means diving in the depths of the sea among fishes, crustaceans, algae, shells, rocks, starfishes and, above all, bottles of wine. Our adventure began in 1978, when Pierluigi Lugano abandoned his profession as a teacher of history of art in order to found a winery in the heart of Tigullio, realizing the great potentialities hidden in the wines of Ligurian farmers and decided to valorize autochthonous vines. From Bisson's winery began to come out typical and territorial wines bound to Ligurian tradition, but produced with modern techniques. Pierluigi begins to acquire vineyards in Trigoso, Campegli, Verici, Volastra and Cinque Terre. In the beginning of 2000 Pierluigi is determined to produce a Metodo Classico sparkling wine with the grapes of the territory but he does not have an underground cellar for aging and the obstacle seems to be insoluble: where to find the right conditions of shadows and low and constant temperatures? Here comes the stroke of genius: at the bottom of the sea! The sparkling wines of the "Abissi" line are the result of the blending of typical Tigullio's grapes (Bianchetta, Vermentino, Cimixà) and of an aging in bottle at 60 meters below sea level, at a constant temperature of 15°C, off the coast of Cala degli Inglesi in Portofino Marine Park. Bottles are laid in steel cages and placed on the seabed by professional divers. After ageing, they are recovered for settlement and disgorgement: when they return to the surface the bottles are works of art, embellished by time and rest in the depths of the sea. They are then wrapped with a transparent film and then marketed. The submarine adventure of Bisson winery was initially considered as a folly or a science fiction idea but, after having tasted Metodo Classico "Abissi" sparkling wine, critics and public agreed in recognizing Pierluigi's brilliant intuition, joining the enthusiasm of New York Times and of more and more numerous admirers from all over the world.