Study / Region guides
Liguria
No DOCG and 7 DOCs. Examined in Unit 1: Northern Italy.
- Borders
- Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany
- Wine provinces
- Imperia, La Spezia, Genoa, Savona
The land
Liguria is a narrow crescent between the mountains and the sea. Vineyards are terraced into steep slopes and production is tiny.
Genoa splits it in two. The Riviera di Ponente runs west to France and the Riviera di Levante runs east to Tuscany. The mountains block cold air from the north, so the climate is mild and Mediterranean.
The grapes
Vermentino and Pigato are the main whites, and they are the same variety. Cinque Terre blends Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino.
Rossese makes the light, perfumed red of Dolceacqua. Ormeasco is the local name for Dolcetto.
Local names
- Ormeasco
- Dolcetto, in Pornassio (Ormeasco di Pornassio), Riviera Ligure di Ponente
- Pigato
- Vermentino, in Riviera Ligure di Ponente
In the vineyard and cellar
Almost everything is dry white wine made to drink young with seafood. The exception is Sciacchetrà, the sweet passito of Cinque Terre.
History and trade
Genoa was a maritime republic, and most Ligurian wine has always been drunk on the coast where it is made. The terraces of Cinque Terre are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The DOCGs
Liguria has no DOCG.
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinque Terre / Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà | 1973 | Bosco, Albarola, Vermentino | La Spezia |
| Colline di Levanto | 1995 | Vermentino, Albarola, Bosco; Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo | La Spezia |
| Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino (Portofino) | 1997 | Bianchetta Genovese, Vermentino, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto | Genoa |
| Pornassio (Ormeasco di Pornassio) | 2003 | Ormeasco (local Dolcetto) | Imperia |
| Riviera Ligure di Ponente | 1988 | Pigato, Vermentino, Rossese, Granaccia, Ormeasco | Imperia, Savona |
| Rossese di Dolceacqua (Dolceacqua) | 1972 | Rossese | Imperia |
| Val Polcèvera | 1999 | Bianchetta Genovese, Vermentino, Albarola; Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Barbera | Genoa |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Liguria. Cover the answers and try them.
Which three grapes make Cinque Terre?
Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino. Bosco must be at least 40% of the blend, grown on terraces above the sea.
What is Sciacchetrà?
The sweet passito of Cinque Terre. It is made from the same three grapes, dried before pressing.
Rossese di Dolceacqua, Liguria's first DOC, is
A light, perfumed red from near the French border. It comes from the province of Imperia. The grape is the same as Tibouren in Provence.
Pigato is very closely related to which grape?
Vermentino. DNA work shows Pigato, Vermentino and Piedmont's Favorita are the same variety.
Ormeasco di Pornassio is made from which grape?
Dolcetto. Ormeasco is the Ligurian name for Dolcetto, grown high in the hills behind the Riviera di Ponente.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Liguria, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Liguria