LIGURIA

Small is beautiful

A little light info to get us all started on Liguria:

Regional Vineyard:

Total Vineyard Size

1,568 hectares is the total regional vineyard including vineyards producing fruit for Quality wines, Table wines & Table grapes

Dedicated to Quality

In total 847 hectares are dedicated to producing grapes for Quality wines

Notable Cru/Zones:

Albenga

Cinque Terre

Colline di Levanto

Colli di Luni

Dolceacqua

Genova Golfo del Tiguillo

Pornassio

Quiliano

Riviera dei Fiori

Riviera Ligure di Ponente

Taggia

Val Polcevera

Wine Style/Quality:

% Red

28.5%

% White

71.5%

% DOP / IGP

2013 figures indicate 73.9% of Liguria’s wines are produced according to EU DOP Quality standards. Liguria produces 8 DOP wines all of which are DOC classified including 5 special ‘sottozone’ in Riviera Ligure di Ponente. They also produce 3 IGP wines accounting for 13% of production. Table wines account for 13% of output.

LIGURIA – NATIVE GRAPES

As always, a number of the regions native grape varieties are used only for blending purposes. That said we’ve listed those grapes which we understand might be available as mono-varietals or which are interesting blenders. Naturally as we make our own discovery we’ll update these lists.

NATIVE REDS

BRACCIOLA NERA

ORMEASCO*

A native of Liguria also known as Dolcetto from neighbouring Piemonte. So who gets the bragging rights? Let’s find out.

POLLERA NERA

ROSSESE DI CAMPOCHIESA

Analysis suggests Rossese is the same as Tibouren which is a French native from Provence, just across the Italian / French border. But then again ?

NATIVE WHITES

ALBAROLA

BOSCO

BIANCHETTA GENOVESE*

Genetically the same as Liguria’s very own ALBAROLA. Who’d have guessed were it not for those wonderful people doing the DNA analysis.

LUMASSINA

PIGATO*

Research shows that Pigato is identical to Vermentino. Yet it produces some very different wines. How’s that ?

ROLLO

ROSSESE BIANCO DI SAN BIAGIO

RUZZESE

SCIMISCIA

VERMENTINO

Traditional Grapes

written about for a couple of hundred years, in Liguria these traditionally grown grapes are considered as natives

Genetically the same as Liguria’s very own ALBAROLA. Who’d have guessed.

A native also known as Dolcetto from neighbouring Piemonte

Research shows that Pigato is identical to Vermentino. Yet it produces some very different wines.

Analysis suggests this is the same as Tibouren, a French native from Provence, just across the Italian French border. But then again ?

OUR STATSOURCES

  • ISTAT – Italy’s Istituto Nazionale delle Statistiche (Census 2010 / Vineyard Production Figures 2013)
  • AIS – The Association of Italian Sommeliers
  • ‘I Numeri del Vino’ – Marco Baccaglio’s top Italian blog – lots of numbers :)
  • Wine Grapes – Robinson, Harding & Vouillamoz – lots of great grape stuff – BUY IT !
  • Native Wine Grapes of Italy – Ian D’Agata – extensive – Highly recommend its purchase !
  • Lavinium – Italian wine & culture. Brilliant site. Only in Italian. Great reason to learn Italian!! www.lavinium.com

VINTAGE INFORMATION

Due to the variability of information from year to year, all data provided is intended to be for indicative purposes only. However, we do try to keep ourselves ‘reasonably’ updated :)

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