Tre Bicchieri 2023. The best wines of Liguria

Oct 10 2022, 10:57 | by Gambero Rosso

Previews of the awards of the wine tasting by Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia 2023 guide. Here are the best wines from Liguria.

The small vineyard of Liguria: generational turnover and new companies

It's now known that Liguria is among the regions with the smallest area under vines in Italy. It's equally well known, however, that given the quality of its wines, it can stand toe-to-toe with far nobler regions. Once all the impassable areas (mountains and floodplains of little viticultural interest) have been removed from the picture, along with all its residential and recreational areas, whether dedicated to residents or tourists, and finally all areas dedicated to horticulture, only a few hilly areas suitable for wine-growing remain. Even if we should remember that certain subzones in Liguria include some of the steepest vineyards in Italy, but that's another story.

But despite this, the region, in general, seems to be enjoying a moment of great dynamism, as testified to by the founding of numerous new producers, often small, and the participation of younger generations in many established wineries. Hence a good dose of innovative ideas to change production models and the organoleptic profiles of the wines.

Wine in Liguria: Eastern Coastline (Levante)

These major changes, which are slowly modifying the sector, from Spezia to Imperia, seem to concern Levante (the eastern coastline) the most.

In that area Vermentino is becoming, thanks to the commitment of its vintners and growers, central to local wine production, and therefore we're seeing a growth in quality. In Spezzino, it's flanked by other historical wines, like Canaiolo and Vermentino Nero, or by cultivars introduced from France, such as granaccia (the French grenache, also cannonau), which actually has been cultivated for some time in Quiliano, in the province of Savona. In short, Levante is more dynamic. This desire to make things happen, combined with extensive experimentation, has resulted in more varied and often higher-quality wines.

Wine in Liguria: Western Coastline (Ponente)

In fact, for some years now we've seen a sort immobility in Ponente, especially in terms of the area's whites, where Pigato (once a standard-bearer of the entire region) is struggling to find the luster of old. At the moment it's the reds that are keeping the area on the map, with the only Ponente (western coastline) Tre Bicchieri attributed to Rossese di Dolceacqua.