There is a moment, in a well-prepared Genoese dinner, when wine ceases to be an accompaniment and becomes the star. It happens when the waiter pours a chilled Vermentino next to a plate of trofie al pesto, and the green of the basil meets the straw yellow tinged with greenish reflections of the wine: two colors that tell the story of the same land, the same sea, the same light. The glass fogs slightly, the aroma rises before you even bring it to your lips — hints of Mediterranean scrubland, white flowers, a whiff of salt that is never truly absent in a Ligurian wine.
Liguria is not a land of vast vineyards. It is a land of hard work, of terraces built by hand on slopes that seem designed to discourage anyone, of dry stone walls holding onto handfuls of earth extracted from the rock. And yet from these impossible scraps of land come wines that have a precise personality, recognizable, that resembles nothing else in Italy. These are not wines that shout: they are wines that whisper the sea.
Those staying in one of our residences in the heart of Genoa have the good fortune of starting from a perfect base to explore this world: from here, in just over an hour, you can reach both the Cinque Terre to the east and the inland areas of the Genovesato, where cellars guard bottles that rarely leave regional borders.
A viticulture born from necessity, not abundance
The history of Ligurian wine is, first and foremost, a story of resistance. The hills that plunge steeply into the sea, from east to west, offered no other choice: either you terraced, stone upon stone, creating the famous fasce, or the vine had no room to grow. Generations of farmers built kilometers of dry stone walls by hand, carrying earth on their shoulders or in baskets, in a labor that today we would call unsustainable and which instead kept the economy of entire villages alive for centuries.
The Cinque Terre — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore — are the most photographed example of this heroic agriculture, so much so that the area has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage, also for the value of the terraced agricultural landscape. But the same logic repeats itself, with different emphases, along the entire Ligurian coast: in the Ponente areas of Savona and Imperia, in the inland areas of the Genovesato, in the valleys that rise steeply behind Genoa.
The Genovesato in particular — the hilly strip surrounding the capital, from the Polcevera Valley to the Bisagno Valley and up to the heights of Tigullio — has a winemaking tradition less told than the Cinque Terre, but no less authentic. These are small vineyards, often family-run, that supply mainly the local market: drinking these wines in Genoa means drinking something that is rarely found elsewhere.
Vermentino: the white wine that smells of Mediterranean scrubland
If we had to choose a single grape to represent Liguria’s wine heritage, it would be Vermentino. Cultivated along the entire coast, from east to west, it produces wines that in their most typical version are fresh, sapid, with that characteristic Mediterranean scrubland note — broom, aromatic herbs, a hint of almond — that makes them immediately recognizable.
Ligurian Vermentino reaches its fullest expression in the Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC designation, which includes several sub-zones along the Savona and Imperia coast, and in the Colli di Luni DOC, at the far eastern edge of the region, straddling Liguria and Tuscany. It is a wine that lends itself to different interpretations: some wineries focus on immediate freshness, others work on more structured versions, with a few months of aging that rounds out the flavor profile without betraying its marine character.
Pigato: the rougher and more aromatic cousin
Less known outside the region but beloved by Ligurians, Pigato is an indigenous grape of western Liguria that takes its name from the characteristic spots (“pigà” in dialect) that appear on the berries at harvest. It produces wines more structured than Vermentino, with a more intense golden color and an aromatic range that spans from stone fruits to wild herbs, with a slightly bitter note at the finish that makes it the perfect companion to dishes with fatty fish or fried preparations.
Pigato is also part of the Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC designation, often vinified on its own by wineries in the Albenga area and the inland Imperia region. It is a wine best appreciated at the table rather than on its own: its lively acidity and light salinity call for food.
Sciacchetrà: the liquid gold of Cinque Terre
There is a wine in Liguria that tells more than any other the sacrifice of the terraces: Sciacchetrà. It is a sweet passito wine, produced with Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino grapes left to dry after harvest, in small quantities that make it one of the rarest and most expensive wines in Italy relative to volume produced. It falls within the Cinque Terre DOC designation, of which it represents the passito version.
The name is believed to derive from the local dialect, linked to the gesture of “crushing” dried grapes. The result is an amber-colored wine, dense, with aromas of honey, dried fruit and raisins, capable of aging for a long time in the bottle. Traditionally it pairs with dry Ligurian sweets, but more experienced producers also recommend it paired with blue-veined cheeses or, simply, as a meditation wine at the end of a meal, sipped slowly as the sun sets behind the terraced slopes of Manarola or Vernazza. It is no coincidence that the area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 precisely for the value of its terraced agricultural landscape, the result of centuries of patience that these wines tell, glass after glass.
Rossese di Dolceacqua: the red wine that looks toward France
Moving to the far western corner, in the hinterland of Ventimiglia, you enter the realm of Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC, one of the few important red wines of all Liguria. Light in color but not in personality, Rossese smells of red fruits, sweet spices and a floral note reminiscent of withered rose. It is said—and this is an anecdote that circulates among enthusiasts, though no single documented confirmation has been found—that it was among the favorite wines of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose family had roots and ties in this border area between Liguria and Provence.
Beyond the legend, Rossese di Dolceacqua remains a wine of character, capable of standing up to good rabbit Ligurian style or stuffed cima, and which with a few years of aging develops surprising complexity for a grape variety often considered “minor.”
The lesser-known wines of the Genovese area: a heritage to rediscover
Less codified in the major denominations, but no less interesting, are the wines produced in the valleys behind Genoa. Small family-run wineries cultivate local grape varieties—some nearly forgotten—producing bottles that rarely leave the province. These are the wines you find in the trattorias of Castelletto or in the restaurants of Nervi, often offered in bulk or with simple labels, unpretentious but with an authenticity worth discovering.
Those staying in our apartments in Castelletto, among alleyways and trattorias overlooking the lower city, have the opportunity to ask the restaurant managers directly which local wine they are pouring that evening: it is often the most interesting discovery of the meal.
Where to taste and buy Ligurian wines in Genoa
There is no need to venture all the way to Cinque Terre to drink well: Genoa itself offers several places where you can find an honest selection of Ligurian labels, often with the chance to get advice from someone who truly knows the territory.
Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Mercato Orientale, in the heart of the Historic Center, hosts several wine shops and specialized stalls where you can buy bottles from small producers on the Riviera. It’s the right place for those staying in one of our vacation rentals in the Historic Center who want to take home a bottle to open in the evening, perhaps paired with a piece of focaccia bought just meters away.
At Porto Antico, the Eataly area offers a wide selection of Ligurian wines alongside regional products, with the possibility to taste before buying. It’s a convenient stop for those who want to quickly get an idea of the different denominations — Vermentino, Pigato, Rossese — comparing them in a single visit.
For a more immersive experience, it’s worth considering a day trip to Cinque Terre or to western Liguria, where several family-run wineries organize visits with tastings among the terraced vineyards. These are experiences that should be booked in advance, especially in the summer months, but they offer a perspective on the work behind every bottle that a simple purchase at a wine shop cannot convey.
The pairings that Genoese people know by heart
Ligurian cuisine and local wines have grown together, and traditional pairings follow an almost automatic logic for those born here. Vermentino accompanies fish in all its forms — from mixed fried fish to Monterosso anchovies, from baked sea bass to trofie with pesto, where its acidity cleanses the palate from the richness of oil and cheese. Pigato, more structured, stands up to bolder dishes: an abundant mixed fish fry, an accomodato stoccafisso, a cacciucco.
Rossese di Dolceacqua finds its ideal companion in meat dishes from the Ligurian peasant tradition: rabbit, cima alla genovese, tocco di carne with mushrooms. Sciacchetrà, finally, ends the meal: with canestrelli, with pandolce, or simply on its own, in a small glass, sipped slowly while conversation lingers beyond coffee.
“But yes, beautiful, our wine, that of the terraces, drunk while watching the sea that made you sweat to make it.”
— Ligurian peasant proverb, oral tradition of Cinque Terre
The insider’s tip
A detail that few tourists know: many Ligurian trattorias, especially the smaller and less touristy ones, keep a house wine “della casa” that never appears on the menu but is always worth asking for. It’s often the wine of a local producer with whom the restaurateur has a direct relationship, sold at a fair price and capable of surprising more than certain prestigious labels. Just ask the waiter “what house wine do you have” to open a conversation that, in Liguria, rarely ends with a brief answer.
A toast that tastes like home
Drinking wine in Liguria means, ultimately, drinking the landscape: the terraces built by hand, the salt spray that deposits on the leaves, the effort of generations that chose not to surrender to a hostile territory. Every glass of Vermentino, every sip of Sciacchetrà, carries this story with it, even when one doesn’t know the details.
“Genova… is the most beautiful and dignified city I have ever seen.”
— Stendhal, on Genova
If this story intrigues you enough to experience it firsthand — one glass at a time, one winery at a time — Genoa is the perfect starting point. From here the Genovese region is within a pleasant walk and Cinque Terre is just an hour by train: enough time to settle your luggage in one of our properties and you’re already ready for the first toast. If Liguria’s wine country is calling you, we’re here.
