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Pigato
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Classificazione: DOC (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata) / (Quality wines produced in a specific region)
Color: Fairly rich straw yellow
Region of production: Liguria - Riviera Ligure di Ponente (provinces of Genoa, Imperia and Savona)
Minimum alcohol content: 11%
Grapes uses: Pigato 95% min., other non-aromatic white grapes (max 5%) |
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A DECISIVE YET DELICATE PERSONALITY |
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The rich clusters of Pigato grapes, golden and opulent, produce a fine wine associated with the Valle Arroscia. Liguria is a coastal region in North-West Italy, which extends along the Mediterranean Coast from Tuscany to the border of France. The Valle Arroscia is located in the inland region of Liguria, it lies just northeast of the Flower Riviera; redolent of lavender, gentian and lilies. Its picturesque hills are covered with forests, olive groves and vineyards. Within its area of just a few kilometers the Valle Arroscia boasts a great variety of landscapes and environments, an area distinguished by the luminosity of the Mediterranean sun and the vast serenity of alpine meadows.
The grape that was brought to this natural Eden in ancient times, perhaps from Greece, has provided the name for the wine. The name comes from the, "pighe", i.e. the dark little spots that appear on the skin of the mature grapes. The vineyards are exposed to the mellow sun of the Ligurian Riviera and the grapes are ready to be harvested by the middle of September.
Pigato wine, also produced in the town of Albenga and, to a lesser degree, in the hills above Genoa and La Spezia, is normally put on the market as soon as it is ready. This wine should be drunk young or left in the bottle to age for, at most, a year, in which case it should be kept on its side in the cellar at a cool temperature.
Drinking it you appreciate its characteristic dry, but balanced flavor and its aromatic, intense bouquet, clearly displaying moss notes and the fragrance of wild flowers and various fruit scents, such as peach and ripe apricot, as well as honey.
The complexity of its structure qualify it as an excellent accompaniment to the traditional fish dishes of Ligurian cuisine, such as sea bass, highly-prized crustaceans and mollusks and, of course, seafood pasta preparations. It is a clear wine, boasting a broad array of fragrances, both fine and persistent, delicately warm and with hints of soft freshness. It is best with more delicate first courses, like Pappardelle with lobster in butter and spinach, or heartier pasta dishes, like Farfalle with sweet peppers and anchovy.
Served at a temperature of 10 - 12 °C in a sparkling wine glass with a medium-sized cup and tall stem, it is excellent in combination with casseroles and fried vegetables, with onion soup and leek tarts. However, it is always at its best when accompanying verdure capponate (i.e. vegetables that have been fried and dressed with a sweet-and-sour sauce of capers, olives and celery), stronger tasting dishes and fried items made from dried cod or anchovy soup.
And never underestimate the magical marriage between the pleasantly bitter almond aftertaste typical of Pigato and the natural sweetness of mushrooms: whether they be served in the form of a salad featuring Caesar's mushrooms and porcini, with crespelle pasta or with trenette pasta and herbs.
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