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Tuscany lies beyond the latter while the region's central city, Genoa, sits roughly 70km (40 miles) southeast of Asti and Barolo (and even less from the wider Piedmont, some of whose regions run along Liguria's northern boundary).
There are only around 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of vineyard in the wider Ligurian area, of which just over 500 hectares (1200 acres) are classified as DOC/DOPs. Yet as much as 7.6 million liters of wine is produced per annum, of which 75 percent is white and around 1.1 million liters is DOC wine.
Nonethless, Liguria remains the region with the second-lowest output of wine in Italy.
Terroir
Known as the Italian Riviera, this thin, beautiful strip of rugged land with its Mediterranean climate and poor, stony soils is dominated by hills with sheer drops that almost fall straight into the sea. These steep elevations make vine growing a challenge, resulting in scattered vineyards (some can only be reached by boat) with limited production. In some areas the slopes are so steep that the land has to be cultivated by hand.
Further inland, the hillsides offer only marginally less vertical altitudes, and planting of vines is dense and compact; viticulture plays an essential role in the prevention of soil erosion and landslides.
Most wine is the work of small, artisanal producers who have to grow their vines on terraces carved from the rocky slopes. The steep elevations are a blessing too, as they protect the grapes near the sea from the coldest winter winds blowing down from the Alps.
The soil's high limestone content is particularly good for white grapes, as it gives the wines their minerality. It is unfortunate that the wines are almost as difficult to find as the land is to cultivate; very few of these wines find their way across international borders.
History
Despite the difficult and challenging growing conditions, vines have been grown in this area for more than 25 centuries since they were introduced by the Etruscans and Greeks.
Later, in Roman times, the most famous area to emerge was the now exceptionally picturesque Cinque Terre (Five Lands), now a DOC/DOP, in the far east of the region towards La Spezia.
Grape varieties, winemaking and denominations
Although there are dozens of varieties grown in this region, Liguria is generally known for its white wines made from Vermentino, which are known locally as Pigato for the spots (pighe) that appear on the mature grapes. The grape produces wine with a fragrant nose reminiscent of the Ligurian landscape's pine-wood and sea-salt aromas, as well as an underlying minerality.
The red celebrities come in the form of Rossese, a variety which creates subtle, fruity and spicy wines generally found in the west and the Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC, and Ormeasco, a similar variety to the Piedmontese Dolcetto.
In the past the only regional DOC/DOP was Rossese di Dolceacqua, but recently that number has swelled to eight. Colline di Levanto's white is similar to that of its fellow DOC Cinque Terre, distinguished by its lingering bouquet and its rosso of Sangiovese and Ciliegiolo.
Golfo del Tigullio lies between Genoa and Spezia and was awarded its DOC status in 1997; this little-known area boasts a much-lauded passito and various wines using only Ligurian varieties, including Bianchetta Genovese. There is also Colli di Luni (meaning hills of the moon), and Val Polcevera, whose hidden secret is the ancient Coronata variety, unique to Liguria and transformed into Rhine-style whites.
The ancient red variety Ormeasco seems to be Ormeasco di Pornassio's saving grace – it is an early ripener, and premature autumnal frosts and the particularly steep mountainside vineyards (2625ft, or 800m, above sea level) mean the area is not the most hospitable vine-growing environment.
Last but not least is Riviera Ligure di Ponente, largest of the Ligurian crew, which is notable for its bianco (white) wines made from Pigato and Vermentino, and its rosso (red) crafted from Ormeasco and Rossese. Within this DOC there are sub-zones specializing in wines from Pigato, Rossese and Vermentino grapes, and the Riviera dei Fiori sub-zone is free to use all these varieties.
There are also some rare gems created from Buzzeto and Granaccia, and a Ligurian local, Lumassina.
Liguria also contains four IGT/IGPs which, from west to east, are:
- Terrazze dell’Imperiese (based in the province of Imperia and established in 2011)
- Colline Savonesi IGT (based in the province of Savonesi, west of Genoa)
- Colline del Genovesato IGT (around the city of Genoa itself)
- Liguria di Levante IGT (formerly known as Golfo dei Poeti IGT and established around La Spezia)
