Episode #238: Liguria – A Small But Mighty Wine Region

Listen to “238. Liguria: A Small But Mighty Wine Region” on Spreaker.

Summary

In this episode, we reconnect with Olivia Windsor and Andrea Mitti Rua, founders of Italian Wine Tales, as we dive into the lesser-known yet captivating wines of Liguria. Liguria, the small, picturesque region nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Ligurian Sea, is renowned not only for its scenic beauty but also for its unique viticulture – creating the famous Vermentino, the aromatic Pigato, and the historic wines of Cinque Terre, including the very special Sciacchetrà. Discover the best wineries to visit and learn why Liguria is a must-see for wine lovers!

What you’ll learn in this episode

• Liguria is found northwest of Italy. Its geography and terrain – hilly, narrow strip of land has meant it has unique methods of wine production. Known for its Viticoltura Eroica – wine production on steep terrain meaning lots of tough, manual labor
• Most of the wine produced in Liguria is white. matching perfectly to the abundance of seafood in the coastal region
• Famous Wines of Liguria include Vermentino, Pigato, the Cinque Terre Wine (loved by Popes) and sweet, labor-intensive, Sciacchetrà and there are efforts to revive indigenous grape varieties, many of which disappeared due to the phylloxera bug in the 19th century
• It is recommended to explore Liguria beyond the Cinque Terre – use the trains to visit charming towns like Nervi, Sestri Levante, Camogli and Levanto
• Recommended wineries in Liguria are the Possa winery, as well as Cà du Ferrà and Cantina Eroico both offer hiking and wine-tasting tours. Visiting small wineries is difficult to do on your own, join local tours or join something like Untold Italy’s Ligurian tour where everything is organized for you
• The best time to visit Liguria is in the Spring and Fall, as there are challenges visiting in winter with sea conditions and ferry cancellations and it gets too crowded during peak summer

Timeline Overview

• 00:00 Liguria is a narrow region with steep hills, with many challenges for wine producers
• 06:23 White wines are predominant, like Vermentino – perfect for summer dining
• 06:57 Pigato is a wine found along the West Coast – a dry, fruity, mineral, aromatic white wine
• 12:45 Sciacchetrà – the sweet, intense, and aged wine varietal the Cinque Terre is famous for
• 20:14 There are limited commercial vineyards in Liguria; join tours or arrange with select wineries that offer hiking and tasting tours

About our guests – Olivia Windsor and Andrea Mitti Rua

Olivia, an Australian who moved to Italy in May 2019, and Andrea, an Italian from Piemonte, Northern Italy are based in Rome and have recently launched the Italian wine site Italian Wine Tales, where you’ll find not only the best wines to try, but also information on all the Italian wine regions, the best wine tours and wine clubs you can join. Follow them for Italian wine inspiration on Instagram @italianwinetales, join their Facebook group Italian Wine Lovers or sign up for the Italian Wine Tales newsletter here.

Olivia writes a blog called Livguine, named after her love for pasta and her nickname Liv.  She has explored the country south to north, working in agriturismi and organic wineries before settling in Turin, Piedmont for a time after meeting a local Piemontese Andrea. They are both now based in Rome and Olivia hosts various Untold Italy Tours throughout the year in Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany Capri and Puglia.

Follow Liv and Andrea here

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook group
• Liv’s Website
• Liv’s Instagram
• Liv’s Newsletter

Italian places, foods and concepts mentioned

Places

• Apennine Mountains – mountain range stretching along the length of peninsular Italy, from the Ligurian Alps down to Calabria
• Genoa (Genova in Italian) – the capital city of Liguria
• Nervi – pretty fishing village
• Imperia, Albenga – towns in western Liguria
• Monterosso – the largest of the Cinque Terre towns
• Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola – the other 4 Cinque Terre towns
• La Spezia – main station for the Cinque Terre
• Possa – recommended winery in Cinque Terre
• Cantina Eroico – winery that runs hiking and wine-tasting tours on the Cinque Terre
• Via dell’Amore – recently re-opened hiking trail on the Cinque Terre. Find more info on the re-opening from Cinque Terre Insider’s post here 
• Levanto – lovely city in Liguria, great for a base to visit the Cinque Terre
• Cà du Ferrà – winery based near Levanto that offers wine tastings and hikes with tastings
• Sestri Levante – town on the Baia del Silenzio, the (Bay of Silence)
• Camogli – fishing village on the west of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso

Food / Drink

• Vermentino – a dray white wine that is Liguria’s most well-known
• Pigato – white wine found mainly in the Riviera di Ponente area of Liguria, along the west coast
• Albarola, Bosco – wine grapes used in Liguria
• Sciacchetrà – the Cinque Terre’s famous sweet wine
• passito – a type of Italian sweet wine. Passito means ‘raisin’ in Italian, and is because the grapes are part-dried prior to fermentation

Words / Concepts

• Ferragosto – yearly celebrations and public holiday in Italy on 15th August
• vendemmia – the wine harvest
• lungomare – the seafront
• Viticoltura Eroica – where grapes and vines are grown in conditions that force the wine growers to overcome difficulties, like steep hillsides where everything needs to be done by hand
• phylloxera bug – a grapevine bug that nearly destroyed Europe’s vineyards in the 19th century
• slow food presidia – the slow food movement started in Italy and centers around small-scale food productions that protect traditional and artisanal products that are at risk of disappearing
• Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy – TV series where the American actor and food writer with Italian heritage, tours around Italy

Related content on Untold Italy

Podcasts

• Ep 229 – From Grits to Grape – How Puglia is redefining its wine culture
• Ep 221 – Magical Marsala – The sweet taste of Sicilian wine
• Ep 213 – Wines of Southern Tuscany- Brunello di Montalcino and Beyond
• Ep 206 – Barolo – King of wines and its wonderful region
• Ep 196 – Beyond Chianti – The wonderful world of Italian red wine
• Ep 189 – Pour yourself a glass – Discovering Italian white wines
• Ep 179 – Italian sparkling wine – Toasting the best from Prosecco to Franciacorta

• Ep 144 – Sip your way through the wine bars of Florence
• Ep 092 – Wine windows of Florence
• Ep 019 – Wine and wandering in Umbria
• Ep 013 – Introduction to Italian wine

• Ep 227 – Pesto Perfection – A locals guide to Italy’s Favorite Sauce
• Ep 163 – Pesto, pasta and the dishes of Liguria
• Ep 133 – Delicious products to try in Liguria
• Ep 106 – Beyond the Cinque Terre – Exploring Liguria
• Ep 009 – An insiders view of the Cinque Terre

Articles

• Liguria travel guide
• Ligurian food guide
• The Best Cinque Terre Itinerary Ideas
• Where to stay in Cinque Terre – Area and Hotel Guide
• Perfect Italian Riviera Towns – Cinque Terre and Beyond
• Cinque Terre Boat Tour – The Best Way to see the 5 Lands
• Hidden gems in Italy – from North to South
• The Best wineries in Italy

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