Liguria

Overview

Liguria is a slender crescent of land squeezed between the Ligurian Sea and the Maritime Alps, famous for the Cinque Terre, Portofino, and pesto. Its vineyards are among the most spectacular and challenging in the world - perched on vertiginous stone terraces carved into cliffs high above the Mediterranean.

The region's isolation and difficult terrain have kept production small and artisanal. Viticulture here is heroic labor, with everything done by hand on terraces accessible only by narrow paths. But the reward is wines of extraordinary delicacy and Mediterranean character - whites that shimmer with sea breeze and minerality, and light reds that capture the essence of coastal living.

Cinque Terre's Sciacchetrà, a rare and precious passito dessert wine, ranks among Italy's most unique offerings. Meanwhile, Vermentino from the hills of Colli di Luni and Pigato from the Ponente coast are gaining recognition as some of the most expressive whites on the Italian Riviera.

Key Varietals

• VermentinoLiguria's finest white, yielding crisp, saline wines with citrus, green apple, and Mediterranean herb notes.
• PigatoA Ligurian specialty with almond, peach, and briny character, closely related to Vermentino but distinctively mineral.
• RosseseAn elegant, pale red with floral aromatics, wild strawberry, and spice - Liguria's answer to Pinot Noir.
• Bosco & AlbarolaNative whites used in Cinque Terre blends and the legendary Sciacchetrà passito, a honeyed, apricot-scented dessert wine.