Wines made from Vermentino grapes of Ligurie
Discover the best wines made with Vermentino as a single variety or as a blend of Ligurie.
The vermentino grape variety was widespread in Italy, Sardinia and Corsica. Today, Vermentino is grown in the regions bordering the Mediterranean, mainly in Provence (Côtes de Provence, Bellet), Corsica (Corse Calvi), Languedoc (Côtes du Roussillon, Costières de Nîmes) and the Rhône Valley (Côtes du Luberon). Because it ripens late, Vermentino requires a warm climate for its development and can only be grown in regions with good sun exposure. Conversely, cold or temperate climates do not allow it to ripen properly. Vermentino is only susceptible to powdery mildew. When vinified on its own, Vermentino produces a single-variety dry white wine that is light and full-bodied with a pale yellow color. It can also be blended with other grape varieties such as Ugni Blanc, Cinsault and Grenache, in which case its low acidity makes it light and fresh. Vermentino belongs to the grape varieties of Ajaccio, Corsica and Corbières. The aromas released by this variety are multiple. One can detect notes of fresh apple, green almond, sweet spices, hawthorn, ripe pear and fresh pineapple.
Liguria is a thin, crescent-shaped coastal region in northwestern Italy, stretching 250 km along the Mediterranean Sea from the border with southern France in the west to the port city of La Spezia in the east. Tuscany Lies beyond the latter, while the region's Central city, Genoa, is about 70 km southeast of Asti and Barolo (and even less so of Piedmont, parts of which run along the northern border of Liguria). Known as the Italian Riviera, this thin, beautiful strip of rugged land with a Mediterranean Climate and poor, stony soils is dominated by steeply sloping hills that fall almost directly into the sea. These steep elevations make Grape growing a challenge, resulting in scattered vineyards (some of which can only be reached by boat) with limited production.
I’m fortunate enough to taste a fair amount of fine wine each year and I have come to the conclusion that each of us is forced to build our own stylistic preferences, regardless of the appellation or classification of a wine. Instead of simply choosing a bottle of Bordeaux over Barolo, for example, most of us probably aim to drink each on the right occasion and, in doing so, carve out our individual preferences for these wines. My personal bias – which I must confess, to be fair and transp ...
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