Cián du Giorgi
Cián du Giorgi is a small but deeply passionate winery tucked into the steep terraces of the Cinque Terre National Park in Liguria, owned by Riccardo Giorgi and Adeline Maillard. More than producing wine, their work is a devotion to preserving a fragile landscape, reviving old vines, and crafting wines that embody tradition, place, and authenticity.
Origins & Vision
Riccardo, originally from the region, studied viticulture and enology—including work in Bordeaux—and spent years working in large wineries across Europe. Adeline, from France, brought expertise in wine marketing. Together, they decided to leave the comforts and certainties of their earlier lives to follow a dream: to restore and honour the vineyards of Cinque Terre, many of which had fallen into neglect.
In 2017 they were struck by two parcels of vineyard land—one in Riomaggiore, another above Vernazza—and in 2018 they founded Cián du Giorgi (“terrazzamento di Giorgi,” in the local dialect). Their home base and cellar is in San Bernardino, positioned between their vineyard holdings.
Vineyard & Practices
The vineyards include century-old vines, some pre-phylloxera and ungrafted, and many planted with autochthonous or ancestral grape varieties such as Bosco, Albarola, Ruzzese, Scimiscià, Bonamico, Vermentino and others.
The terrain is dramatic: steep terraces above the sea, no mechanization possible, work done by hand, with great physical effort to restore terraces, clear scrub, and rebuild dry-stone walls.
Winemaking is natural and minimal-intervention: spontaneous fermentations (no added yeasts), use of amphora, steel, or wood depending on the wine. Additives are avoided, and temperature control is minimal but applied when needed.
Wines & Style
Cián du Giorgi’s wines are reflections of their environment — salty sea breezes, intense sun, mineral soils, and the elements of heroic viticulture. Flavours often include bright citrus, herbs of the Mediterranean macchia, floral notes, and a mineral, saline backbone. There is freshness, clarity, and a strong sense of place.
Some of their notable cuvées include Amante del Sole, Amante dei Venti, and Ade (a rosé created in Adeline’s honour), among others. Each wine arises from hand-picked old vineyards, treated with care.
Values & Legacy
Preservation: rescuing and reviving vineyards that were abandoned, maintaining terraces and the steep, difficult landscape.
Tradition: working with ancestral grape varieties, local dialect names, and minimal intervention, respecting old ways while applying modern care.
Authenticity: letting the wine tell the story of the land, the vines, the climate, and the people who tend them.
Cián du Giorgi is not just a wine project; it is a labour of love for a historic territory, an act of stewardship and continuity.
Cian du Giorgi can be contacted at info@ciandugiorgiwinery.com or by phone at +39 349 2359252.