Punta Crena Cruvin

March 14th, 2026

Punta Crena Cruvin may be one of the rarest wines you’ll ever taste. It’s made from Crovino—known locally as “Cruvin”—a nearly extinct grape that today is grown only by the Ruffino family of Punta Crena in Liguria, Italy. The wine comes from what is believed to be the last remaining hectare of Crovino vines on earth.

For more than 500 years, the Ruffino family has tended these vineyards above the tiny seaside village of Varigotti on the Ligurian coast. One of the most extraordinary things they preserve is this nearly forgotten grape.

Crovino produces extremely low yields, which led most growers to abandon it long ago. In the local Ligurian dialect, “Cruvin” means “to fall.” When the berries reach perfect ripeness, they tend to drop right off the vine, making harvest difficult and unpredictable. Most growers replaced it with easier varieties, but the Ruffinos chose to keep it alive.

Their vineyards sit on hand-built stone terraces overlooking the sea, where cooling Mediterranean breezes temper the warm coastal sun. Some of the vines date back to the 1950s and grow in sandy, gravelly soils that contribute to the wine’s distinctive mineral character.

In the glass, Cruvin is delightfully fresh, spicy, and medium-bodied. Aromas of tart blackberries, wild mint, and the aromatic herbs you might encounter hiking through Liguria’s coastal hills rise from the glass, followed by bright cherry and berry fruit, earthy mineral tones, and subtle spice with hints of coffee as it opens.

At the table, it shines alongside the cuisine of its homeland: pansotti with walnut sauce, roast rabbit with taggiasca olives and wild herbs, crispy fritto misto, or almost any dish featuring the anchovies Liguria is famous for.

A wine from a place that feels unchanged by time—and from a grape that very nearly vanished.