Winemaker Notes
While Punta Crena's wines are easy quaffers, it is also possible to geek out about them, if that's your thing. Rossese is a somewhat obscure Ligurian grape with a knack for communicating its terroir—in this case, Varigotti's red clay—which brings uncommon roundness, the wild Ligurian brush with its herbal notes, and the emblematic coastal air salinity.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Liguria’s most extensive DOC along its northwest coast from Genoa to France, the area concentrates on the production of Vermentino (called Pigato here), Dolcetto (called Ormeasco here), Alicante and Rossese di Dolceaqua.