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The Rossese grape immigrated to Italy from France, brought most likely into Liguria by soldiers in the high Renaissance. Rossese (aka. ?reddish?) owes its name to the vibrant color of the grape bunches, although the wines are not so deeply colored, ranging in hue from garnet to light ruby. Varietal characteristics include bright wild strawberry, blackcurrant and other forest fruit flavors, heralded by enticing rose and black-pepper aromatics. The nose shows notes of fruits of the forest and dog rose. At the taste is elegant and delicate, soft with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Very low in tannins, it is the perfect wine to pair with seafood.

• 100 % - Rossese (AKA Bianco di Nizza)

This estate has been growing grapes in the sunny hinterland of Albenga since time immemorial, and starting with the 2000 harvest has begun making their own wine.

Within a few years - thanks to the excellent quality obtained - the wines have become very popular with the best wine shops and restaurants in Liguria and beyond. The excellent results achieved prompted them to enlarge the cellar and outfit it with modern equipment.

At the same time, one hectare of Pigato grape vine has been planted in Ranzo, in the Arroscia Valley.
They firmly believe in the potential quality of this vineyard and anticipate fine results from it. They have selected the parcel thought to be the best suited for a late harvest and used traditional vinification methods.

The aim here was to make a Pigato wine the way the ancestors used to make it, and it is not a mere coincidence that it will be called "Bon in da Bon" (from the Ligurian dialect meaning really good). Giobatta Vio, called Aimone, decided to build his own estate in his native village, Bastia d'Albenga, a hamlet situated in Medieval times to guard the main access ways to the surrounding valleys. Here Aimone built his castle with its crenellated tower: he rescued and joined together decaying buildings otherwise destined to let their indefinable charm fade away with time.

On the ground floor, sagacious country gentlemen that he is, he created the cellar: down to the finest details, it is where the wine making and bottling take place in the very heart of the Estate, and next door is the cosy tasting room. Bio Vio's production is organic without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, as certified by ICEA in 1999.

This DOC describes a coastal region in Liguria, partly on the Italian Riviera, which runs westward from Genoa almost all the way to the French border.

Here wine growing finds itself almost exclusively in the dedicated hands of small growers as there's not enough plain or plateau to encourage large-scale farming, and the vines receive full reign to explore their affinity for rugged hillsides. Pigato, Vermentino and Ormeasco are the best-known varieties producing the finest bottlings.

These, along with the Rossese di Albenga are grown in three sub-zones: Albenga, Finale and Riviera dei Fiori. When the wine bears a varietal name, it will contain 95% of the named variety, with the balance coming from other local types.

Ormeasco has a tall tale to tell, since it was once known as Dolcetto. And though initially emigrating centuries ago from Piedmont, it has evolved its distinct flavor profile here down on the coast.