Just a short 40 miles southeast of Alba, Barolo’s geographic home, one will find the city of Genoa; Italy’s sixth largest city by population and its most important commercial seaport. For over seven centuries it was home to the most powerful maritime republic on the Mediterranean. It also serves as the capital of the region of Liguria.

Located in northwestern Italy, Liguria is a thin, crescent shaped region that hugs the Mediterranean for about 150 miles, from the border with France in the west to Tuscany in the east. To the north, lies Piedmont and Emilia Romagna. It is often referred to as the Italian Riviera. You’ve probably heard of Cinque Terre, that’s in Liguria.

Winemaking here dates back some 2500 years, introduced by the Etruscans and Greeks. During the Roman Empire, the wines of Cinque Terre were highly regarded. Today, Liguria is Italy’s second smallest wine region, producing about 7.5 million liters of wine a year. By contrast, Veneto, Itay’s largest producing region, makes over 1 billion liters a year.

Winemaking here isn’t easy. With the Ligurian Alps in the west and the Ligurian Apennines in the east, the region is dominated by steep, often dramatically high cliffs, in some places that fall straight into the sea. 65% of the region is classified as mountainous, with the other 35% classified as hilly. Many of the oldest vineyards here have been terraced by hand over the centuries and working them with machines is all but impossible. Nearly 100% of grapes are hand harvested. In some cases (very cool), they are harvested from boats.

Liguria is dominated by white grapes; roughly 70% of wine produced here is white wine. Vermentino and Pigato are two of the more planted varietals. There is quite a bit of disagreement as to whether these are the same grapes, just expressing themselves in different ways.

Locally, many winemakers regard them as different grapes; Pigato makes wines that are richer and fuller, with a distinctive bitter taste on the finish, whereas Vermentino produces wines that are lighter and crisper. In addition, the name Pigato gets its name from the Italian word , which means ‘spotted’ or ‘freckled’ in the local Ligurian dialect, because as the grapes ripen they develop spots on the skins. Vermentino, on the other hand, maintains its consistent yellow-green color. Despite all this, DNA testing claims that these are the exact same grape. Something to ponder over a glass.

In addition to Pigato and Vermentino, there are small regional plantings of Albarola, Bosco and Bianchetta Genovese. For red wine, the most well-known grape is Rossese, which makes light, fragrant red wines. Some of you know this grape by its French name, Tibouren, and the amazing roses from Clos Cibonne in Provence. Other red grapes grown here are Ormeasco, the local name for Dolcetto, Ciliegiolo, Granaccia, the local name for Grenache, and Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and a grape called Pollera Nera, which is used in some red blends.

But the reality is, we come to Liguria for white wine. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad wine from Liguria. This isn’t a land that is kind to those that are looking to make an easy dollar or put in partial effort. Winemaking in this region is difficult and frustrating at times and demands a complete dedication to the land. Liguria is a place for the strong, the determined. The best a winemaker can expect is a level of cooperation from the land, it will never be conquered. So it discards all but the most resolute. It only rewards those that are intent on making the best wine that this rugged terroir will yield.

One of my favorite Lihurian producers is Bisson. The birth of Bisson is not the typical story one hears when discussing wineries. Pierluigi Lugano was not born to a winemaking family, he didn’t go to school to study oenology. He was originally an art teacher that fell in love with wine and became a Master Sommelier. As his adoration for the wines of Liguria grew, he began to trade in small lots of local wine, opened a small shop in Chiavari, and eventually began to purchase small, terraced vineyards and vinify his own wine. He is fiercely protective of local winemaking traditions and indigenous grape varietals and is still considered one of the foremost experts on Ligurian wine. And he makes "Abissi," a sparkling wine aged in the sea off the coast of Portofino at a depth of 60 meters. Just something to do in his spare time. He also makes a delicious dry Glera Frizzante (prosecco) and a killer rose made from Ciliegiolo.

These are serious wines for serious wine drinkers. The whites are phenomenal; rich, deep, complex and exceptionally well made. Total food wines.

The 2025 Bisson Pigato is rich and unctuous. It shows marzipan, white flowers, dried herbs (dried basil?) and a briny saltiness that reminds me a little of Fino sherry. There’s not a lot of fruit on the nose but plenty of minerality. On the palate, there’s more weight than one would expect from the color with flavors of baked apple & pear, dried herbs, umami, and the bitter almond skin that is a trademark of this grape. The texture reminded me of that sensory creaminess you get from apple juice; but it’s kept lithe by great acidity. A really great wine. Expect to pay around $40 retail for this one.