Region:

Liguria

Anyone who has driven along the Northern Italian Riviera in Liguria must have felt awe for the region’s beauty. The sharp, picturesque contrast between the sea and the mountains draws many tourists, and the tourism industry plays a dominant role here.

According to historical sources, Liguria traces its history back to the first millennium BC, when the region covered a very vast area that included large parts of northern Italy. During the Punic Wars, Liguria was partially subject to Carthage and, later, Rome, but under Emperor Augustus it was incorporated into the Roman Empire and important trade routes, which are still in use, were built.

The Liguria vineyards are among the toughest in Italy, the rugged and steep slopes always having been a challenge for growers. It is for this reason that special machines were developed, able to operate in the extremely steep fields using wires.

Were it not for the legends and traditions, however, Liguria would have probably disappeared in Italy’s large wine universe a long time ago. The terraces, which are almost cut out in the rock wall, tell more about the wine’s historical value for the region than the sobering statistics reveal.

Ancient early Greek immigrants as in many other places in Italy introduced the wine. Moreover, the Etruscans also cultivated wine in the hilly area of Luni – upland along the Magra Valley, an area that probably stretched out all the way down to the coast, close to the Cinque Terre national park, which is listed on the UNESCO world heritage site.

In Liguria, the focus is on white wine, which is an excellent companion to the area’s many fish dishes and dishes with pesto. Overall, exploring the region’s wine universe can be a fascinating experience, even if wine growing represents less than 1% of Italy’s total production. Despite the low production, there are more than 100 different wines.

Until a few years ago, Cinque Terre DOC and Dolceacqua DOC were the only wines under DOC, but now there are also unique white wines, such as Pigato DOC from the Riviera Ligure di Ponente, and, above all, Vermentino DOC, originating in Colli di Luni.

Liguria produces 8 DOC wines.