The first time I took myself to Liguria I was nursing a broken heart, newly single and eager to explore the sun-soaked towns of the Italian Mediterranean.
It’s a playground for super yachts and jet setters and a stone’s throw from the glitz and glam of Monte Carlo but with a softer and more enjoyable pace of life.
I had a habit at the time of booking flights and taking myself off for long weekends to soak up the culture and atmosphere of new surroundings and the Ligurian coast was no exception.
On one such solo trip to chill out for 5 days, I came across the wine after a busy morning bartering with the traders at the famous San Remo Market. I had sat to people watch, and a young enthusiastic waiter placed a large glass in front of me. I didn’t object. The air was warm, it was sunny, and the smell of Mediterranean Lavender was wafting from nearby hanging baskets.
From the first sip, I was intrigued; the wine had a slight pithy bitterness and stone fruit aromatics, but with more body than I was expecting. Maybe it was the place, that moment of relaxing, but it was the perfect wine at the perfect time.
On subsequent trips to Liguria, I always made it a necessity to order Pigato in the late afternoons to sip on my balcony watching the sun set over the Mediterranean or after wandering through Ventimiglia or Diana Marina on a warm, balmy evening.
Liguria has a plethora of native grape varieties, both red and white, and Pigato is one such variety, which is, for the most part, consumed by locals and visitors alike, ensuring it stays a hidden secret of the area. DNA-wise, it shares genetic roots with Vermentino and Favorita but expresses itself differently thanks to time and mutations.
For me, the pigatos of Liguria have more herbal nuances and slightly stronger aromatics, they show more body too and have potential to age. They have developed and adjusted to the coastal terroir of Liguria.
They grow on dry stone wall terraces on the Ligurian hillsides, availing of the Mediterranean sunshine but also the breeze that sweeps inland. The winemaking is considered, with cold maceration prior to pressing, natural yeasts, stabilisation then bottling.
Pigato is a wine I will buy again and again, if not only to remind myself of the wonderful weekends and time I spent lazily exploring Liguria.
Leah x
