Vineyards and wines from The Gulf of Tigullio

Basilica dei Fieschi vineyard in Cogorno, inland of Chiavari

Liguria is a region particularly suited to grape growing. Nestled between the mountains to the north and the sea to the south, its land is almost entirely hilly or mountainous. The beautiful, sunny south-facing exposures, the Apennines and Alps that protect it from cold northerly winds, and the sea breezes that mitigate the climate, making it mild and temperate throughout the year, create ideal climatic conditions for viticulture. The mountainsides rise steeply from the sea, and the vineyards are cultivated at altitudes between 200 and 500 meters, with significant temperature variations, which favor a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes, resulting in particularly intense and concentrated aromatic profiles.

While all these characteristics create a perfect natural habitat for grape growing, the same cannot be said for the availability of land for cultivation and for vineyard work. Vineyards are often reclaimed from the mountainside with terracing, which climbs the steep slopes. A centuries-old and laborious effort to tame the mountains has helped create a distinctive landscape, with vineyards of rare scenic beauty.

Even today, winemakers' work is entirely manual, with no mechanization available, and harvesting and transporting the grapes to the cellar poses challenges. It's no coincidence that viticulture in most parts of Liguria is described as "heroic," precisely to emphasize the effort, dedication, and sacrifice it entails. It's also a type of agriculture naturally characterized by low yields per hectare and very high production costs compared to flatter areas.

Smal private vineyard on the hill above Lavagna and overlooking the sea

Since ancient times, due to a lack of space and terraces exclusively dedicated to vineyards, vines were often grown in olive groves, with fewer support poles and the plants being trained directly onto the olive branches.

Furthermore, even today, along the hillside roads, the landscape offers characteristic corners, nestled between clusters of inhabited houses, where small private vineyards sprout, supported by poles specially placed in a row against dry stone walls.

Typical example of small vineyard along the walls and leant to olive trees

The development of vines cultivation in Liguria is historically attributed to the Benedictine monks who started  and transformed it into a profitable economic production, becoming then consolidated over time thanks to the city of Genoa as a commercial outlet. Also the winemaking tradition in the Gulf of Tigullio area owes its beginning to the Benedictine monastic congregations, and in the late Middle Ages the cultivation of vines spread in all the Tigullio areas from the coast to the inland hills. Since then clues about vine cultivation can be found in notary testimonies referring to the Fieschi family’s properties and in various writings such as that of Saint Lancerio which testifies the journey of Pope Paul III in those areas (Santa Margherita and Chiavari). The testimony of Carlo Garibaldi, a doctor in Pòntori in the Territory of Garibaldo, (the current Municipality of Ne in Graveglia Valley), co-founder of the Economic Society of Chiavari, which in the second half of the 18th century writes about local historical and naturalistic events, tells of agricultural cultures and in particular that of the vine. He mentions among others, the Gianchetta and the Cimiciato, the autochthonous white-berry vines now valued by our producers with the names of Bianchetta Genovese and Çimixa. The appreciation of the Gulf of Tigullio wines finds further confirmation with Portofino wines arrival on the London markets in the first decades of the twentieth century. Unfortunately for centuries the local viticulture has experienced a certain promiscuity with the cultivation of vegetables and fruit, given the scarcity of cultivable surfaces, to the detriment of the quality of the wines, which got rather light and not very clean because of archaic cellar techniques, thus mostly suitable for private consumption. The available vines in fact, were really many and mixed together in the same row, sometimes alternating between white and black grapes. Coming from ports or mountain communication routes with other regions, the rooted cuttings were sold and planted or grafted in the most exposed areas of the sun and in the most inaccessible places. This varied heritage has survived up to present days, and it is not uncommon to discover some old peasants’ vines who are difficult to identify.

Up to few years ago the grapes were bought by the winemakers directly from the farmers, while today the same winemakers also have their own vineyards, thus more controlled and cared for.

Terraced vineyard on the hill inland of the Gulf of Tigullio

In the Province of Genoa the largest and most important area that bears a denomination of controlled origin is the Gulf of Tigullio, which starts from Moneglia, on the border with the Province of La Spezia, up to Recco on the outskirts of Genoa, going into the first inland areas, specifically  in the Valleys Fontanabuona, Sturla, Graveglia and Petronio.

The most popular wines in Gulf of Tigullio's area

The denomination doc "Gulf of Tigullio - Portofino", started at the turn of the 90s and 2000, aims to give more visibility to local wines, given the worldwide fame of the seaside village of Portofino located in the center of Tigullio Gulf.

This name is reserved for wines that correspond to the conditions and requirements established in the product specification for the following types:

- White, also in the spumante, sparkling and passito types; wines produced with local Bianchetta Genovese grapes in quantities of up to 40% plus grapes from other non-aromatic white grapes, alone or jointly,  as authorized in the province of Genoa

- Red, also in the sparkling and “novella” types; wines produced with local Ciliegiolo or Dolcetto grapes in quantities up to 40% plus other non-aromatic red grape varieties, alone or jointly, as authorized in the province of Genoa

- Rosé, also in the sparkling type; wines produced with local Ciliegiolo or Dolcetto grapes in a maximum quantity of up to 40% plus grapes from other non-aromatic red or white grapes, alone or jointly, as authorized in the province of Genoa

- Bianchetta Genovese, also in the sparkling type; white wine produced in purity from the same name, native grape or with a percentage of at least 85% in addition to other local white grapes

- Vermentino, also in the sparkling type; white wine produced with a percentage of at least 85% of the same name local grape variety

- Ciliegiolo, also in the sparkling and novello types; red wine with a fruity taste produced in purity or with a percentage of at least 85% of  same name local grape

- Moscato (White Muscat), also in the passito type; white wine produced in purity

- Scimiscià (Cimixa), also in the passito type; white wine produced in purity with Scimiscià grape, an old, nearly disappeared variety, recently recuperated

Bianchetta Genovese wine from Gulf of Tigullio

Both the type of grape present in the eastern part of Liguria, from the province of Genoa to that of Spezia, and the wine that is produced are named Bianchetta.

The same grape is also called Temosci in the area of Chiavari and Albarola in the area of La Spezia. The bunch of grape appears with small grape berries covered with a white bloom whose oldest clone sees a bunch closed to a pine cone, small and compact, the first to be affected by the wasps attracted by its sweet juice. About the grape color, it ranges from light yellow with reflections from straw to greenish, to sulfur yellow. The wine made from this grape, sometimes from a single grape variety sometimes with the addition of Vermentino grapes, is a medium-graded wine (around 11 degrees), considered “with a drinkable nature”, with a white floral scent on the nose not too persistent , dry, fresh and sapid with beautiful minerality, light on the body, with a pleasantly bitter finish. Together with Vermentino wine, Bianchetta Genovese is the most served and consumed local wine in the province of Genoa. It is very suitable as an aperitif and with seafood and  appetizers from the inland valleys of the province of Genoa. The Bianchetta Genovese produced in particular in the areas of the Tigullio gulf is a wine with an alcohol content between 11 and 12 °, of a more or less intense straw yellow color with slight greenish reflexes of fairly broad, intense, persistent dore, with hints of apple, peach and mild resins of conifers and wild fennel. Due to the small production it is difficult to find it outside the eastern Ligurian borders and the consumption takes place within the year from the harvest. Nevertheless, thanks to its fixed acidity and minerality, it has unexpected holding power over time. These characteristics of the Bianchetta, have allowed the realization of the mythical Spumante Abissi, a non-dosed Classic method, re-fermented for 13 months at a depth of 60 meters in the sea of ​​the Protected Area between Portofino and San Fruttuoso. This brilliant idea presented the bottles on the market, still encrusted with sea creatures, so bearing the confirmation that Bianchetta is an excellent sparkling wine.

Dolcetto

The name Dolcetto is given both to the grape variety and the red wine produced. Many types of Dolcetto are known scattered in various provinces of Liguria and Piedmont. We are aware of ancient traces of this vine dating back to the 14th century in Liguria, and only two centuries later in Piedmont. We therefore tend to think that the origin of this wine is Ligurian and not from Piedmont, despite to common knowledge. It is now difficult to find it in the eastern Liguria except in small and / or familiar productions. It can be produced with a high percentage of Dolcetto grapes and a low percentage of other red berried grapes. Under the name "Rosso del Golfo Tigullio" for example, you can find a Dolcetto wine made with 60% of Dolcetto grapes and 40% of Cigliegiolo grapes. There are reds of this type both in Alta Fontanabuona and in the area of ​​Castiglione Chiavarese. This wine has a more or less intense red color, the alcoholic strength can vary up to one degree, but above all it must be remembered that the grapes produced closer to the sea are softer, less tannic, unlike grapes from the hinterland that are savory. Also under the name of "Rosato del Tigullio" we find wines derived from grapes of Dolcetto, Ciliegiolo and other indigenous red grapes.

Red local wine

Nostralino

The name of Nostralino is taken from the wine obtained from the vinification of several local grapes mixed together according to the production that the family and local vineyards offer from year to year. Thus Nostralino, depending on the prevalence of certain grapes, can be white or red or rosé and hardly reaches an alcoholic degrees higher than 11 °. When tasted it is almost always awkward, acidulous and spicy but certainly fresh from the cellar. The success of a local wine, however, depends on good care during vinification in the cellar, attention in decanting and satisfactory aging in cask. Some of the noblest examples in the Tigullio area are: Rosso di Borzonasca, Rosso di San Colombano Certenoli and Rosso di Moneglia from Rossese, Dolcetto, Brachetto and Barbarossa grapes vinified together but with different percentages from time to time. The resultant are drinkable red wines, sometimes fragile, sometimes robust. In the municipality of Casarza Ligure, above Sestri Levante, the Verici wine is instead produced from the Bianchetta, Rollo and Bosco grapes, with a golden color and an alcohol content of 13 °, with a delicate bouquet reminiscent of undergrowth. A wine suitable for accompanying local vegetables and fish dishes. The Missano or Morasca wine, both white and red, is produced exclusively in the municipality of Castiglione Chiavarese and neighboring areas.

Sweet Muscat from Gulf of Tigullio

The white Muscat is an aromatic and fragrant vine par excellence: according to ancient documents handed down by the Benedictine monks it has been known in the Gulf of Tigullio since the 1600s, and it derived from the white Moscato di Canelli vine clone. The particular vinification technique with fermentation stop allows to obtain a sweet, low alcohol and high quality wine.

Small but significant is the production of sweet Moscato wine in the Tigullio areas, which differs from the Moscato Piemontese for greater flavor (it seems salty) and less fat. With an alcohol content between 11 and 12% it has a rather intense straw yellow color, even with slight greenish reflections. It has a broad, delicate, persistent, fruity aroma with hints of limoncella and orange flowers. There is also the “Moscato passito” type ( 15,5 alchoolic degrees), with a more or less intense golden yellow color, with a complex odor, characteristic of Muscat grapes; its taste is sweet, warm, very aromatic and harmonious. Both are produced with pure white Muscat grapes and are an excellent accompaniment to leavened desserts such as Pandolce alto and Panettone, Canestrelli cookies and other homemade desserts such as cakes with pine nuts and raisins and apple tarts. The sparkling sweet Muscat is kept in the cellar, placing the bottles in a lying position, in the shelves used for sparkling wines. It is advisable to consume it within a year of harvest and serve at the table at 8 - 9 ° C

Passito wine from Gulf of Tigullio

A niche wine, dry white, with an alcohol content between 11 and 12 degrees, mainly produced in the areas of the Tigullio Gulf. It has a pale straw yellow color; delicate, fresh and persistent odor, with hints of herbs and wild flowers (mainly wild fennel and broom) and slight musk and brackish; dry, sapid flavor, with a delicate soft vein, fairly continuous and with a pleasant bitter vein. It is produced with  white local  grapes, recommended or authorized for the province of Genoa (Rollo, Pigato, Bosco, Albarola, Vermentino). It is a wine that gives its best during the first year of life and must be served at a temperature of 10 ° C. The best storage in the cellar is at a constant temperature between 10 and 14 ° C

Ciliegiolo wine from Gulf of Tigullio

Ciliegiolo is a vine introduced in Italy around 1870 by Spain, and now cultivated in many regions of Italy. Vinified in purity the Ciliegiolo grape gives a wine with a typical intense ruby ​​red color with purplish nuances, rather alcoholic, elegant and full-bodied. In Luguria the most abundant and well-known production is that of the Tigullio area, made with the grapes of the homonymous vine for 85%, while for the remaining 15% other non-aromatic, recommended varieties authorized for the province of Genoa, can contribute to its production of. The result is a surprising red wine for its harmony and freshness, it stands out for its fruity taste and the wide aroma of cherry and wild berries. Ideal to accompany a good choice of dishes, from seafood appetizers to Genoese minestrone, lasagne with pesto, risotto with octopus, baked sea bream with potatoes or baked in foil. It gives its best in the first year of life and must be kept in the cellar, at a constant temperature between 10 ° and 14 ° C.

Vermentino from Gulf of Tigullio

Vermentino is the best known and served wine in the Tigullio areas together with the Genovese bianchetta. A monoculture wine produced from the grapes of the homonymous vine. All the information on the Vermentino grape variety suggests its Spanish origin even if there are no certainties about the origin of this grape variety. Around 1300 it was introduced to Corsica and between 14 and 18 century it arrived in Liguria. From this grape variety in the areas of the Golfo Tigullio it produces a dry white wine, with an alcohol content of 11 or 12 degrees, of a pale straw yellow color, a delicate, fresh and persistent aroma, with hints of herbs and wild flowers (mainly wild fennel and broom ) and slight musk and brackish, and with a dry, sapid flavor, with a delicate soft vein and a pleasantly bitter taste. This local Vermentino wine is produced with the grapes of the homonymous vine for 85%, while for the remaining 15% other grapes of similar color, non-aromatic, recommended or authorized for the province of Genoa (Rollo, Pigato , Bosco, Albarola). can contribute to its production.  It goes well with all the first dishes of the Genoese cuisine and above all the fish dishes. It must be stored in a lying position in the lower compartments of the cellar, at a constant temperature between 10 ° and 14 ° C, and preferably served at a temperature of 10 ° C at the table.

Scimiscià (Cimixa)

It is a vine once cultivated mainly in the whole area of ​​the Gulf of Tigullio, especially inland, but now only found sporadically in Graveglia valley, around the village of Mezzanego in Sturla Valley and inland of Chiavari town. During the last century this old white grape variety seriously risked its extinction. Its name apparently derives from the small dots on the grape which recall the bedbugs’ stings. In the traditional Genoese dialect, in fact, this insect is commonly called çimixâ, so the name of the grape. By the local farmers it is also known with the synonyms of “scimisciaa” or “simixaa”. When ripe the çimixâ vine has grapevines of a very particular color, resambling the Sienna one. Even the leaves have curious colors, with bluish shades. The bunch is not very compact, sometimes loose. The berries have a medium size, with a tough skin (suitable for late harvests). The yield in must is rather contained. Çimixa wine is barely known on the national wine market, as it was registered in the National Register of Vine Varieties, only in October 2003. Historical evidence states that this grape variety was mainly used for the production of late harvested wines, as also results from the first experiments and the first harvests dating back to the 2000s by some winemakers who tried to reproduce it. Nevertheless after careful checks and microvinifications, it became clear that even in purity the Çimixa gave quite satisfactory results. It tastes indeed like a white, straw-yellow, fruity wine, constantly evolving, with very elegant notes of fruits (apple and pears), white flowers (elderberry) and vegetal background notes. It undoubtedly expresses freshness and warmth also supported by good sapidity and minerality. Persistence is discreet. It goes well with typical dishes such as pumpkin pansoti or a stockfish and bacilli.

It is also possible to make a passito version, which is a surprising and unexpected wine with a beautiful amber color with some coppery lines. Definitely intense, persistent and fine, with a riot of withered flowers, apricot, chestnut honey, Ligurian herbs scents, Cimixia raisin wine is sweet but not cloying on the palate, it is fresh, savory and warm with a beautiful body. It leaves a very pleasant sweet-bitter aftertaste, and it is not necessarily meant to accompany a dessert, as it is also very suitable on its own to be sipped among friends at the end of a meal. The Cimixià at the moment is known as a young wine, but it definitely bears a great potential to develop itself into a refined wine if left a few years on a shelf to mature. In any case, now that its grapes have been brought back into production by some local producers, it can also contribute to the improvement of other typical local wines, such as Vermentino, Bianchetta Genovese and Albarola di Lavagna