Vermentino and Pigato from Liguria compared by Rebecca Gouttenoire, Italian Wine Scholar.
The region of Liguria in northwestern Italy is a long strip of coastland shaped like a boomerang. Vermentino is the most widely-grown single grape variety. The second most grown grape variety in Liguria is Pigato. Studies of their DNA have shown Vermentino and Pigato are identical. Yet, they behave differently so most winemakers swear they are different varieties. When grape vines are genetically identical but look different, behave differently and give distinctively different wines, we call them biotypes.
Winery featured: Foresti (www.forestiwine.it)
Maps by the WINE SCHOLAR GUILD (www.winescholarguild.com)
Join Pierre and Rebecca Gouttenoire on a wine tour: http://www.grape-tours.com / http://www.grapetrotters.com
