For many years I've really wanted to taste a Ligurian wine. Slowly but surely I worked my way through each of the twenty regions of Italy. I tasted at least one wine from every region of this great wine producing country until there were only two holdouts, Val d'Aosta and Liguria, by far the smallest and lowest volume producers. The statistics are quite eloquent; little Ligura produces only about one-half percent of all Italian wine, and for every twelve-bottle case of Ligurian wine, tiny Val d'Aosta produces a single bottle. Towards the end of last winter I finally found a red bottle from Val d'Aosta. And then unexpectedly my supplier offered two wines from Liguria, a red and a white. I saw the red first and ordered it on line. Then I ordered the white which comes from a more highly regarded grape. I have already reviewed the Val d'Aosta red and the Ligurian white.

As quoted below, Ormeasco is the Ligurian name for Dolcetto. Some people would say that's all you have to know, especially at its relatively high price. This particular appellation was separated from the more general Riviera di Ligure di Ponente DOC in 2003. Ligurians claim that Ormeaso is a more powerful grape than the Piedmont Dolcetto. At it does grow at a repectable elevation, some 800 meters (about half a mile), quite a good sign.

Before we review this Ligurian wine, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Risotto mantecato con Asparagi e Gamberi (Risotto with Butter, Asparagus, and Shrimp). Then try Pescato del giorno alla moda Ligura (Catch of the day baked Ligurian style, with Potatoes, Olives, and Pine Nuts).

For dessert indulge yourself with Amaretti (Almond Cookies).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Durin Ormeasco Superiore 2006 14.0% alcohol about $26 (DOC Pornassio)

Let's start with the marketing materials. Ormeasco is the Ligurian name for Dolcetto. Tasting Note:... over the past few years [Durin] has earned a reputation among lovers of good Italian wine. The range is produced in a modern, functional cellar and the fruit comes from some of the most exciting vineyards for the local area's classic varieties... The reds are doing well with the slender Ormeasco, the typical Pornassio variety, standing up to comparison with the austerely muscular Granaccia. Score 2 Glasses (out of 3). (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines, 2008) And now for my review.

At the first sips the wine was thick. Its first pairing was with zucchini stuffed with ground meat, accompanied by stewed potatoes and carrots. The wine tasted of black cherries and tobacco. It was rather persistent, especially the tobacco taste. The stew vegetables stepped up its acidity a notch. Slices of yellow watermelon brought out the oak and gave the Ormeasco more weight.

The next meal consisted of an asiago cheese omelet with a side of pesto. This time I planned it; pesto is the signature dish of Liguria. This homemade pesto wasn't Ligurian but it was quite good. Maybe that explains what happened. With the omelet the wine was fleeting, but I did taste the oak. And it picked up strength when consumed alongside the pesto. Dessert was a high-quality French style lemon pie with a very buttery crust that more or less gutted the wine. The wine was there, but it was weak.

My final meal was centered around commercially barbecued chicken. When paired with the wings that bathed in a sweet and sour sauce, the wine was quite long and balanced between fruit and acidity. There was some chocolate but no tannins. (Not surprising, as Dolcetto is often considered to be a cousin of Gamay, the tannin-less grape in Beaujolais wine.) Then came the boiled beets. The wine was pleasantly acidic and fairly powerful. In spite of what I just said it had round tannins. I finished the meal with paprika dusted barbecued chicken thighs. This Pornassio was refreshingly acidic with tasty chocolate notes. It was rather thick.

I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. With a gouda cheese the wine was slightly grapey and showed good acidity and some tobacco. When paired with Swiss cheese the wine was somewhat muted but still grapey. I would have preferred that it lose the grapey taste and keep the tobacco. No, I am not a smoker or really an ex-smoker.

Final verdict. This wine was better than I expected but still think that it was too expensive. As I noted for the white Ligurian wine, I do understand that agricultural production and just about everything else must be expensive in the resort area of the Italian Riveria. So the conclusion is buy something else, especially when you're not vacationing there.