All about Bianchetta genovese. Ligurian wines.

This indigenous variety (Gianchetta in the local dialect) is an easy find in the province of Genoa (namely Val Polcevera and the Levante), a natural basin surrounded by hills that slope towards the sea. Grown here since ancient times, bianchetta changes its name into albarola in the province of La Spezia (including in the Cinque Terre).

 

Its quality was appreciated by Stendhal on occasion of a stay in Genoa, as witnessed by a quote in his Voyage en Italie.

 

The name bianchetta (from bianco, white) seems to derive from the clear, almost transparent colour its grapes turn to during maturation. Definitely not a lover of high temperatures, it prefers hill areas far from the sea. Furthermore, it is at its best when cultivated in friable soil (locally known as tarso), dry yet fit to retain ideal moisture rates. 

 

Straw yellow with greenish hues, the wine features a pleasant bouquet - grassy, flowery, fruity (subtle notes of citrus fruits and minerals); the flavour is fine, intense, balanced, with good acidity and sapidity (alcohol ranging from a minimum 12° to the 15° of the passito version). 

 

A handful vintners opt for varietal vinification in DOC Portofino and DOC Val Polcevera – which also boasts Coronata, a blending of Bianchetta, Bosco, Rollo and Vermentino.

 

Bianchetta Genovese is the traditional matching of focaccia.

This versatile wine pairs well with a variety of dishes: in fact, it exalts the rural scents of vegetables and herbs (the stars of Ligurian soups and savoury pies), fresh salumi and medium aged cheese. However, its miss-not matching is with focaccia – the typical, old fashioned Genoese breakfast.

 

My English abstract of the article as published on LiguriaFood

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