Liguria
Northern Italian riviera
Liguria, heroic viticulture in coastal settings
- Area: 5.416 km2 (18th out of 20)
- Mountain: 65,1%
- Hill: 34,9%
- Highest peak: Monte Saccarello (2201 mt)
- Population: 1.507.636 (2,6%)
- Provinces: Genova, Imperia, La Spezia, Savona.
- In the past, Liguria produced a considerably higher quantity of wine but the rise of tourism and the abandonment of hard-to-manage terraced vineyards has caused the volumes to plummet.
- Merchants from Genoa have contributed to spreading grapes around the Mediterranean basin. In fact, some historians argue that names like Grenache and Guarnaccia derive from the Ligurian town of Vernazza.
- 65% of the regional production is white wine and 35% is red and rosè wine.
- Despite ranking 19th out of 20 regions in terms of total volumes, Liguria boasts high average quality, the difficult growing conditions forcing producers to focus on premium wine production to command higher prices.
- The Portofino maritime reserve was the place where the first attempts at aging wine underwater occurred. Bisson, a key Ligurian producer, takes credit for having kick-started the trend by launching iconic sparkling wine Abissi, the bottle of which is covered by shells and marine debris accumulated on its surface during aging.
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Liguria Travel Guide
Where is Liguria located?
Liguria extends from the border with France to Tuscany in Central Italy, and flanks Piedmont, Lombardy, and Emilia Romagna. It is the only region in Northern Italy with a temperate Mediterranean climate.
The third smallest region in Italy, Liguria is mostly hilly and mountainous, with steep cliffs descending from the Ligurian alps and diving into Mar Ligure (Ligurian sea).
Pine trees, palms, and olive groves define its peculiar landscape, while terraced vineyards flank picturesque small towns such as Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Manarola in the Cinque Terre area, and Portofino and Camogli near Genoa, Liguria’s chief town and one of Italy’s largest harbor cities.
What to see in Liguria?
- Cinque Terre: five awe-inspiring coastal villages nestled among the steep slopes of the namesake coastal reserve.
- Genoa: the region’s chief town, famous for its large port, the aquarium, and the UNESCO-protected Rolli palaces.
- Lerici, Tellaro, and Portovenere: picturesque towns overlooking the gulf of the poets in Southern Liguria.
- Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure: high-end tourist destinations with luxury hotels and beach clubs and stunning coastal landscapes.
- San Fruttuoso Abbey: lying within a secluded bay on the Portofino promontory, this is one of the world’s most beautiful medieval abbeys.
- Sanremo: the setting of Italy’s most famous music festival.
- Riviera delle Palme and Riviera dei Fiori: sandy beaches on the western end of Liguria, almost touching France.
What is the typical dish of Liguria?
Pesto genovese is the most famous recipe from Liguria: made with fresh basil, Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese, and pine nuts, this flavorful sauce matches typical Ligurian pasta like testaroli, mandilli or trenette. Cappun magro and brandcujun are Liguria’s most typical fish dishes – the former mixes boiled catch of the day and vegetables, while the latter consists of a hearty plate of stockfish and potatoes with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice.
Minestrone genovese is a popular vegetarian dish consisting of dried pasta with mixed vegetables from terraced orchards. Various types of focaccia round things up: Sardenaira from western Liguria is topped with tomato sauce and anchovies; Focaccia di Recco is stuffed with creamy cheese,
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Grapes in Liguria
Colli di Luni, Cinque Terre, Riviera di Levante, and Riviera di Ponente are the main wine-growing areas of Liguria.
White grapes dominate production, with Vermentino and Pigato, an indigenous biotype of Vermentino, accounting for the largest portion of regional plantings, followed by Bianchetta Genovese, Cimixa, and native grapes of Cinque Terre like Bosco and Albarola. Crisp and savory, with signature aromas of Mediterranean herbs and great fruit-acid balance, Ligurian whites make a perfect aperitivo and match simple seafood dishes.
Red grapes include Rossese, Ciliegiolo, and Ormeasco (Dolcetto) on the western foothills of the Ligurian alps.
Heroic viticulture is especially widespread in Liguria: due to space constraints, farmers tend vineyards on steep terraced slopes. Cinque Terre is globally renowned for heroic viticulture but vineyards in Colli di Levanto and Pornassio, the cradle of Ormeasco di Pornassio, are just as steep and difficult to farm.
What are the main wine-growing areas of Liguria?
Key grapes:
- Vermentino: the most widely grown variety in the region, giving a plethora of different wines, ranging from gluggable and floral entry-level examples to rich and tactile orange wines.
- Pigato: a clone of Vermentino, usually yielding slightly richer and savorier wines that take on peculiar aromas of marzipan and gasoline with aging – not unlike Riesling or Timorasso.
- Rossese: the key native red grape, yielding some of Italy’s finest mid-weight reds – ethereal and transparent, with soft tannins and refreshing acidity allied to crunchy red fruits, herbs, and spice.
- Ormeasco: the equivalent of Dolcetto from Piedmont, giving easy-drinking, fruit-forward reds and rosè.
Other key grapes:
- Bosco
- Albarola
- Cimixa (Scimiscià)
- Bianchetta Genovese
- Ciliegiolo
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Liguria Wine Areas
- Hectares under vine: 1,515 (2022)
- Total production: 73,000 hectoliters (2021)
- Percentage of DOC wine: 79%
- Vineyard altitude: 50 to 600 meters.
- Number of DOCGs:
- Annual rainfall:
The lack of cultivable land is a prerogative of Liguria, so farmers were forced to build terraces on steep slopes over the centuries. As a result, most wine-growing areas in the region are very tiny and produce extremely low volumes. Colli di Luni and the plains in the Riviera Ligure di Ponente area are the main exception to this rule: larger flat areas or rolling hills allowed the establishment of slightly bigger estates with a more significant output.
Which are the main wine-growing areas in Liguria
- Colli di Luni DOC: on the border with Tuscany, this inter-regional denomination features rolling hills overlooking Mar Ligure that produce some of the finest expressions of Vermentino, starting out crisp and zingy and developing mineral complexity with time.
- Cinque Terre: Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino thrive on terraced vineyards surrounding the picture-perfect villages of Cinque Terre, producing delicate and herbal wines. Sciacchetrà, the traditional Passito sweet wine made with the same grapes, is considerably rarer but also worth trying – it combines luscious sweetness with maritime savoriness and a distinctive spicy allure.
- Rossese di Dolceacqua: on the border with France, the area of Dolceacqua produces elegant reds bearing resemblance to lighter styles of Grenache.
- Riviera Ligure di Ponente: this area in Western Liguria is the most important for the production of Pigato.
Ormeasco di Pornassio: picture-perfect vineyards on the foothills of the Alps, producing medium-bodied red wines and Sciac-trà, a light and refreshing rosè.
Other denominations :
- Colline di Levanto DOC
- Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino / Portofino DOC
- Pornassio / Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC
- Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC
- Rossese di Dolceacqua / Dolceacqua DOC
- Val Polcèvera DOC
- IGP Colline del Genovesato
- IGP Colline Savonesi
- IGP Liguria di Levante
- IGP Terrazze dell’Imperiese
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Wineries in Liguria
Don’t expect large, industrial wineries in Liguria: producers who in other regions would be considered medium or medium-small here are considered big players, as owning large areas under vines is almost impossible.
Big Wineries
- Lunae
Cult Wineries
- Bio Vio
- Bisson
- Bruna
- Forlini Cappellini
- Maccario Dringenberg
- Terrebianche
Up-and-Coming Wineries
- Ca’ du Ferrà
- Fontanacota
- Maixei
- Poggio dei Gorleri
Natural Wine Producers
- La Ricolla
- La Felce
- Possa
- Rocche del Gatto
- Tenuta Anfosso
- Testalonga
- Walter De Battè
Travel
Liguria Travel Guide: Beyond Cinque Terre – Explore Genoa, Portofino, and Coastal Vineyards
Grapes
The grape yields wine with a fragrant aroma, reminiscent of Liguria's pine forests and sea breezes, with an underlying mineral quality.
Wine areas
Discover the Key Winemaking Areas in Liguria: Cinque Terre and Dolceacqua. You can easily explore both during your time in Liguria.
Wineries
Discover Top Wineries and Vineyards in Liguria, Featuring Heroic Viticulture on Coastal Terrains.
LIGURIA
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