The Winery Balin of Liguria

Discovering the wine region of Liguria

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.

In some areas, the slopes are so steep that the land must be cultivated by hand. Further inland, the slopes are at slightly lower altitudes, and the vineyards are densely and compactly planted; viticulture plays an essential role in preventing soil erosion and landslides. Despite this difficult environment, vines have been grown in this area for over 25 centuries, since their introduction by the Etruscans and Greeks. Later, in Roman times, the most famous area to emerge was the now exceptionally picturesque Cinque Terre (Five Lands), which has a DOC/DOP at the eastern end of the region, towards La Spezia.