Some of the best things on my doorstep took me years to properly discover. Cà du Ferrà, the winery in Bonassola, is one of them. I grew up along this coast and have known Davide and his family all my life, yet it was only recently that I sat down for a proper wine experience there, a sommelier tasting and a vineyard tour, and met Davide’s husband, Giuseppe. I came away admiring them both enormously: their love for each other and their passion for what they have built at Cà du Ferrà (their philosophy is here) is genuinely inspiring.
My partner Danilo and I went on one of those brilliant, improbable sunny winter afternoons, the sky a hard blue, the Ligurian coast unrolling from the Tuscan islands all the way to the snow of Monviso in Piedmont and the French Riviera. A perfect day for wine, food and good company.
The wine experience
At Cà du Ferrà, every sip tells a story. The tasting is thoughtfully put together for both the seasoned wine-lover and the curious beginner: a selection of local wines, each reflecting this particular corner of Ligurian terroir, guided by Davide, Giuseppe and one of their sommeliers, who make the winemaking and the flavours easy to understand and a pleasure to explore.
Davide and Giuseppe offer several tour-and-tasting combinations, from a simple one to a luxury one. I did the Sommelier tasting: a rosé, two whites, a red and a passito (a sweet wine from dried grapes), all served with local products and treats. I liked it so much that I now offer their tastings to my own guests at the Oasi Boutique Hotel in Levanto.
The slow & chic picnic
On the hour-long vineyard tour, Davide told us about their slow & chic picnic, and I have wanted to do it ever since. Picture soft cushions on the terraces, the whole Ligurian coast laid out below, and a basket of organic, zero-kilometre local produce, with a bottle of your choosing from their cellar, a glass of passito, fresh fruit and a traditional dessert to finish. Danilo and I are already plotting to bring a few close friends.
A wedding in the vineyards?
For anyone dreaming of it, Cà du Ferrà also hosts weddings among the vines, with the Ligurian coast as the backdrop. Exchanging vows amid the terraces, sea below, is about as romantic a setting as this coast offers.
Where to stay
After an afternoon of good wine, good food and good company, it was a short hop home to the Oasi. Bonassola and its neighbour Levanto make a lovely, quiet base for exploring this stretch of coast and its wines, away from the busier Cinque Terre, and I have put together a few dedicated offers pairing a stay with a Cà du Ferrà tasting.
Whether you come as a couple, with friends, or on your own, Cà du Ferrà is a genuinely special afternoon, and one of the nicest ways I know to understand the wine of my home coast.
Frequently asked questions
Cà du Ferrà is a family-run winery in Bonassola, on the eastern Ligurian Riviera near Levanto and the Cinque Terre, run by Davide and Giuseppe. It offers vineyard tours and sommelier-led wine tastings of local Ligurian wines (from a simple tasting to a luxury one), a “slow & chic” vineyard picnic, and even weddings among the vines, all with sweeping views of the coast.
It is in Bonassola, a quiet village just west of Levanto in eastern Liguria, easily reached from Levanto (and the Cinque Terre) by train or car. Book a tasting or tour directly with the winery in advance; guests at the Oasi Boutique Hotel in Levanto can arrange the experience as part of their stay.
Cà du Ferrà produces local Ligurian wines reflecting the coastal terroir, including whites, a rosé, a red and a sweet passito (made from dried grapes), typically tasted alongside local food and treats. The sommelier-led tasting is a lovely introduction to the wines of this stretch of the Riviera.
Yes. Bonassola and neighbouring Levanto are quieter, more relaxed bases than the busy Cinque Terre villages, well connected by the coastal railway and the scenic old-railway cycle path, and close to wineries like Cà du Ferrà. They make an ideal, calmer home for exploring the eastern Riviera and its food and wine.
Further reading
- The labour behind these wines: Cinque Terre winemaking and the dry-stone walls
- The region’s sweet treasure: Sciacchetrà and its liquid gold, Ligurian olive oil
- Exploring the coast around Bonassola: by e-bike from Levanto
