Winemaker Notes
From thick, ungrafted trunks of this nearly extinct variety, Alessandro crafts a white wine similar to what his grandfather would have made. After four days fermenting on the skins, it is transferred to acacia casks, where it rests until an unfiltered bottling.
Savor this richly textured, deeply flavored nugget of local tradition with mushroom tagliatelle, sheep’s milk cheeses, a spinach frittata, or the Ligurian antipasto torta verde.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
Forming a crescent along Italy’s northwestern Mediterranean coast, Liguria is one of the country’s smallest regions. Though its ports, Genoa and Savona have welcomed foreign influence for centuries, the region today is experiencing a fresh interest in its own indigenous varieties. Liguria commits large efforts to the white Vermentino (also called Pigato) and the red varieties Rossese, Sangiovese and Dolcetto (also called Ormeasco in Liguria).
Liguria has no shortage of dizzyingly steep, coastal vineyards. On its eastern end in Cinqueterre, Vermentino grows along cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. On its west, bordering France, terraced, seaside vineyards are home to Rossese di Dolceacqua, Liguria’s powerful yet highly aromatic red.