Genoa, the capital, is Italy's largest port city.
Difficult viticulture is carried out using the limited arable land. The charm of this region lies in its over 100 native grape varieties. White wines made from Pigato and Vermentino are fresh with citrus and herbal aromas, imbued with Mediterranean charm.
Despite having been widely cultivated in the past, many varieties have almost disappeared, and many others have yet to reach their full potential, holding promise for future development.
Liguria flourished as an important transportation route connecting Italy and France since ancient Roman times. After the Industrial Revolution, steel, petrochemical, and heavy industries developed around the important port cities of Genoa, La Spezia, and Savona. After World War II, it played a crucial role in the high economic growth along with Lombardy and Piedmont.
Liguria's wines have limited production and are not easily found outside the region.
The most important red wine in Liguria, DOC Rossese di Dolceacqua, made from Rossese, has pleasant fruitiness and a subtly spicy character. It comes in various styles, from light, early-drinking wines to those with solid flavors capable of aging.
DOC Ormeasco di Pornassio is a red wine made from Dolcetto, locally known as Ormeasco.
DOC Riviere Ligure di Ponente excels with Pigato and Vermentino, and these white wines produced on limestone soils are characterized by a refreshing taste and pleasant minerality.
In Riviera di Levante, east of Genoa, Cinque Terre is famous. Cinque Terre is the collective name for five villages, and its unique landscape of terraced cliffs overlooking the sea is a registered World Heritage site.
The white wines made from Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino are often produced by small-scale, artisanal winemakers. Despite being white wines, they tend to have a deep color and a consistently slightly oxidized tone.
The passito sweet version of Cinque Terre is DOC Cinque Terre Sciacchetra, which is also a very complex wine with a slightly oxidized tone.
In the limestone soils of DOC Colli di Luni, which extends into Tuscany, elegant Vermentino full of minerality and flavorful Sangiovese-based red wines are produced.
Mediterranean cuisine with a balanced mix of seafood and mountain ingredients
The most famous is Pesto genovese, a paste made from crushed basil and pine nuts, with Parmesan cheese (sometimes Pecorino Sardo) and olive oil. It is used to dress pasta and is known worldwide.
Locally, pastas such as Trenette and Trofie are often used, but it is also widely used with fish and meat dishes, and to flavor minestrone.
"Professional Italian Wine Manual Italian Wine 2018-2021" Publisher / Wine Kingdom Co., Ltd. Supervisor / Isao Miyajima Cooperation / Nichioh Shoji Co., Ltd.
Pansoti con la salsa di noci, ravioli with walnut sauce, is also a representative Ligurian dish.
As a port city, there are, of course, many seafood dishes. Fish soups like Buridda, made with dried cod, and Ciuppin are numerous. The luxurious Cappon magro, often eaten on Christmas Eve, is a dish where nearly 10 types of seafood and vegetables are arranged on a large platter layered with hardtack.
Cima alla genovese is a dish made from minced veal, thymus, vegetables, boiled eggs, pine nuts, etc., rolled into a large roll, cooked, and then served cold. It is often seen in local grocery stores.
Focaccia is also widely eaten, characterized by many varieties, including those topped with onions, cheese, or olives.
Farinata, a thin tart made from chickpea flour, is also exquisite.
Overall, Ligurian cuisine makes good use of limited ingredients, frequently incorporating wild herbs and forest mushrooms. Olive oil is a famous region in Italy; in contrast to the intensely green-aromatic olive oil from Tuscany, Ligurian olive oil is delicate and elegant in taste, considered to pair well with seafood and vegetables.
