Liguria, Cinque Terre & Beyond The Italian Riviera
The region of Liguria is also known as the Italian Riviera. Liguria occupies a thin stretch of coastline from Italy’s western border with France, following the Mediterranean coastline south and east to its border with Tuscany. To the north and east, coastal mountains separate Liguria from Piedmonte and Emilia-Romagna. This unique geography of mountains and sea has produced a climate and landscape that you would expect much further south in Italy. Palm trees, citrus fruits and olives share the terraced growing space with Liguria’s beautiful vineyards, creating one of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes. Countless kilometers of hand crafted dry stonewall terraces line the coast, where vineyards cling to rocky slopes overlooking the emerald green waters of the Mediterranean sea. Liguria is separated into two “Rivieras”, the Riviera di Ponente to the east and the Riviera di Levante to the west with the Ligurian capital of Genoa separating the two. Writers, artists and tourists alike have discovered the jewels of the Riviera di Levante such as Portofino and the Cinque Terre. Liguria: History
Liguria’s isolated coastline has been occupied since the 5th century BC, first by the fiercely independent Ligurian peoples. These people did not take to Romanization for many centuries, with small enclaves like the Cinque Terre never really conquered by Rome. After the fall of the Empire the region was ruled by Byzantine and Lombard factions, however Liguria’s inaccessibility by land led to a level of autonomy that was always at risk from invasion by Saracens, Normans or Pirates. By the Middle Ages Genoa ruled the entire Liguria and was a powerful maritime republic, in many ways more powerful than its rivals in Pisa and Venice. Liguria was later annexed by Napoleon and given to the House of Savoy after his final defeat. Ligurian patriots like Mazzini and Garibaldi helped start the Italian Risorgimento and their final goal of the modern nation of Italy.
Food in Liguria
The food of Liguria is representative of the area’s unique climate, using many ingredients that would otherwise be considered “southern”. They use an abundance of garlic, olive oil and tomatoes as well as basil to create the most famous of all culinary masterpieces from Liguria – Pesto, served with either Trofie (favored in Cinque Terre) or Trenette (favored in Genoa) pasta. The olive oil of the region is known as Riviera Ligure and is protected by a DOP designation. Seafood plays a large role in the local diet with fresh caught anchovies being a favorite antipasti or main dish. Swordfish, tuna, sardines and ea bass are also popular fish. Ligurian desserts include Pandolce Genovese, a sweet bread made with candied fruit, raisins and nuts, and sweet pizzas made with walnuts, chestnuts and candied fruit. Wine in Liguria
Liguria’s wonderful white wines are the perfect pairing with its aromatic fresh vegetable and seafood dishes. Most whites are fresh and fruity expressions of native grape varieties with a typical mineral backbone common to wines that grow in coastal regions. The most important native grape varieties in Liguria are: Rossese and Ormeasco (Dolcetto) for the reds; Pigato, Vermentino, Bosco and Albarola for the whites. Some nice Sangioveses can be found in the Colli di Luni DOC as well as some interesting internationals throughout the region. Liguria is home to 7 DOC wine producing regions. Starting from the north-western border with France (Riviera di Ponente) and moving south these are:
This small wine region bordering with France, is a DOC that produces one wine only - an interesting red based on the local variety Rossese. The best vineyards are located at 500-600m above sea level and produce wines of great structure, more similar to Piedmont style reds than what we see in the rest of the Liguria region. Keep your eyes out for Foresti (www.forestiwine.it) who produces a great single vineyard Rossese called Vigneto Morghe (only 3000 bottles a year) and Terre Bianche (www.terrebianche.com) making a couple of great Rosseses and a delicious white with a blend of Vermentino and Pigato called Arcana Bianco.
This larger DOC region produces several excellent wines based on native grape varieties. The most important are Pigato , Vermentino and Ormeasco (a local clone of Dolcetto). They also make a fruity and crisp Rosè made from Ormeasco grapes called Sciac-trà (not to confuse with the world class Cinque Terre dessert wine Sciacchetrà!). Some great Riviera di Ponente producers include: Cascina delle Terre Rosse - a small winery that makes and excellent Pigato as well as an IGT red called Solitario (made from a blend of Granaccia, Rossese and Barbera), Lupi (www.vinilupi.it) makes a great Pigato called Vignamare as well as delicious Vermentino and Ormeasco wines (particularly the single vineyard Crus Le Serre and Le Braje respectively).
Val Polcevera is a small DOC region just north of Genova. They make several whites and reds based on native varieties with the addition of some Piedmont and Tuscan grapes. The most interesting wine from this region is a (hard to find) crisp, fragrant white made from a local grape called Bianchetta Genovese.
This DOC region stretches south of Genova to the border of the province of La Spezia and includes famous destinations such as Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure. The warm microclimate of this region is responsible for the softer wines produced in the area as well as a couple of great dessert wines including an interesting Moscato. The reds are based on Ciliegiolo and Dolcetto grapes. Look for Bisson (www.bissonvini.it) a winery that makes a fantastic Vermentino as well as a raisined dessert wine called Passito Acinirari made from Vermentino and Bianchetta.
Just north of the Cinque Terre is the charming and sleepy beach town of Levanto. In the surrounding hills they make white wines based on Vermentino, Albarola and Bosco as well as reds made mostly with Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo grapes. The largest producer in the area (with a total annual production of 40,000 bottles) is La Cantina Levantese – their Costa di Montaretto Bianco made from 75% Vermentino is quite nice and the Rosso Etichetta Nera made from Sangiovese + Ciliegiolo is worth a try.
I hope you’ll all forgive me if I dedicate a few extra words to my favorite area in Liguria - The Cinque Terre! The wines of the Cinque Terre are the most famous wines produced in the Liguria region with 50% of the entire wine production of Liguria coming from the Province of La Spezia including the Cinque Terre. All the same, wine making in the Cinque Terre is a very small production with a handful of artful “boutique” producers crafting only a few bottles a year. Each vineyard is carefully cultivated on hand crafted dry stonewall terraces and the cultivation of the vine is so extreme in the Cinque Terre that it has coined “heroic viticulture”. As you walk along the breathtaking paths that connect the five villages you can’t help but be in awe of the art and labour required to yield such a small production of wine. The Cinque Terre produces exclusively white wines, made mostly from local varietals including Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino. The first two are native only to the Cinque Terre area and are not cultivated anywhere else in the world. The dry whites produced in the Cinque Terre in general are light bodied and crisp with delicate aromas and a flavourful almost salty tang, typical of these seaside wines. They are the perfect companion for local seafood dishes, pasta, Focaccia and shellfish. The signature production of the Cinque Terre however is not a dry white but a dessert wine with a curious name: Sciacchetrà (shakketrà). This wine is produced from the same local grape varieties used in the dry white wines. The harvest is done completely by hand around the end of September and the grapes are laid out to over-ripen in the shade. Once the grapes have reached the desired state (almost raisins), the grapes are pressed and fermentation takes place. The wine is then placed in small chestnut casks called Caratelli for 12 to 36 months. When time has completed its work, both in the cask and in the bottle, the final product is a golden to amber-colored dessert wine with intense aromas of spices and dried fruit. When it comes to Sciacchetrà there’s nobody like Walter de Battè. Winemaker and “wine artist” from Riomaggiore, Walter is responsible for making Sciacchettà what it is today. Besides producing one of the most amazing dessert wines the world has seen, he also makes an excellent Cinque Terre Bianco based mostly on Bosco grapes and using a technique which ferments the grape juice on the skins (much like in making red wines). Walter believes that "The essence of any wine is in the skins, which reflect terroir - in our case, the sun, sea and wind,". At a total yearly production of somewhere around 6000 bottles, his wines may be nearly impossible to find but worth snatching up should the miracle appearance occur! Other great boutique wineries in Cinque Terre include: Forlini Capellini - One of Cinque Terre’s oldest private wineries and Buranco http://www.buranco who produces what in my opinion is the best Cinque Terre Bianco after Walter de Battè. Your best bet for finding Cinque Terre wines overseas is to look for wines produced by the Cooperativa Agricola delle Cinque Terre . They make a beautiful array of crisp and delicious whites from the sub zones of Cinque Terre such as Costa dà Posa and several others.
This DOC is interregional with Tuscany and is the land of the great Vermentinos. Excellent reds made with Sangiovese grapes are also to be found. This is one of Liguria’s most breathtaking areas. The Gulf of Poets with the coastal villages of Lerici and Portovenere are more undiscovered gems when compared to the touristy Cinque Terre. Behind the Gulf the Appuan Alps block the hills of Colli di Luni from cold weather traveling down from the north and some really extraordinary wines are produced. Names to look for include: Ottaviano Lambruschi (www.ottavianolambrushi.it) – total production 40,000 bottles. The Vermentino Sarticola is fabulous and Colli di Luni Rosso Maniero (Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Merlot) is also nice. Giacomelli’s – total production 45,000 bottles - Colli di Luni Vermentino Boboli is wonderful! Larger producer Lunae (www.cantinelunae.com) – total production 320,000 bottles – makes consistently excellent wines that should be more easily accessible on the US market. Try the Colli di Luni Vermentino Etichetta Nera and the red wine Horae (Massaretta, Merlot, Pollera Nera).
At a Glance Liguria wine picks: Riviera di Ponente:
Riviera di Levante :
Want to Visit this region on a diVino Cinque Terre Walk & Wine tour? Please click here for more information
Experience this breathtaking coastal region and it’s rare wines as you tour small heroic wineries and enjoy tastings of local wines directly with the producers. Hike along the amazing coastal trails of the Cinque Terre and sample the finest Ligurian seafood, foccaia and pesto. Join us in the Cinque Terre on our Cinque Terre Walk & Wine tour – this 5 day, 4 night active wine adventure is a one of a kind journey into an Italian paradise!
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