Fine Ligurian White Wine

It took me forever to find a wine from Liguria...

Vermentino Grapes

For years I’ve wanted to taste a Ligurian wine. Slowly but surely I worked my way through the twenty regions of Italy. I managed to taste at least one from each and every corner of this great wine producing country until there were only two holdouts, Val d’Aosta and Liguria, by far the smallest and lowest volume producers. The statistics are quite eloquent, Ligura produces about one-half percent of all Italian wine, and for every twelve-bottle case of Ligurian wine, Val d’Aosta produces a single bottle. Well I got my hands on a red bottle from Val d’Aosta towards the end of last winter. It is reviewed elsewhere. And then unexpectedly my supplier offered two wines from Liguria, a red and a white. You’ll see the red reviewed here fairly soon.

Today’s wine comes from vineyards outside the town of Ortovero southwest of Genoa, somewhat off the tourist route. Liguria is small and there are lots and lots of things to see and do including lots of great beaches. Let’s see how they are doing for wine.

Before we review this Ligurian wine, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Insalata di Gamberoni e Aragosto con Finocchio (Shrimp and Lobster Salad with Fennel) Then try Tagliatelle fresche con Scampi et Tartufo bianco (Fresh Pasta with Scampi and White Truffles). For dessert indulge yourself with Castagnaccio (Chestnut Crust). OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Durin Lunghéra Vermentino 2007 13.0% alcohol about $26 (DOC Riviera Ligure di Ponente)

Let’s start with the marketing materials. Vermentino, the attractive and aromatic white variety that is widely grown in Liguria, is gaining popularity among those in the know. The sub-region of Riviera Ligure di Ponente is rapidly gaining credentials as one of the best areas in Liguria, if not the wine world, for growing this grape. Try it with grilled prawns or mildly spiced Thai dishes. And now for my review.

The first sips were worth waiting for. The wine displayed bright acidity and was long, tasting of green apples. The initial meal consisted of zucchini stuffed with rice and ground beef cooked on a bed of potatoes. The wine was quite lengthy and well balanced. It was very slightly oily. On the negative side, I felt that the apples could be riper.

The second meal included a pesto omelet. I hadn’t planned it, but pesto is the signature dish of Liguria. This homemade pesto wasn’t Ligurian but it was quite good. The Vermentino was very present, syrupy, and fairly long. I tasted tangerines. When paired with a garden-fresh style tomato the wine was deep and lengthy, once again with a bit of oil. Dessert was French-style high quality lemon pie with a buttery crust. The wine tasted of light (but not unripe) apples and was very refreshing.

The final meal was a boxed Eggplant Parmesan slathered with grated Parmesan Cheese. The wine had good acidity and was mouth filling. There were green apples. I found this wine strong but feathery, what I see as a fine quality in a white wine.

Before the cheese pairings I tasted this drink with Matjes herring. It showed subtle acidity and tasted of sliced apples. Next was the Gouda cheese. The wine presented a fine balance between acidity and light fruit. Then I went to a Swiss cheese; it’s a different Swiss than in the past and does not carry the term Emmenthaler but only Swiss. The Vermentino showed bright acidity and some fruit.

Final verdict. With most pairings so positive why would I say no? There is one simple reason; this wine is overpriced. I can understand that agricultural production and just about everything else must be expensive in the resort area of the Italian Riveria. So the conclusion is buy something else, especially when you’re not vacationing there.

Access the companion wine A Distinctively Bottled Verdicchio

About the Author

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine websites include
www.theworldwidewine.com    and    http://www.wineinyourdiet.com

Visit his website devoted to Italian travel www.travelitalytravel.com

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