Arriving in Liguria with my colleagues last June felt like stepping into technicolor after nearly two weeks of pounding the pavement along France’s fabled wine route. In place of the hallowed grands crus and formidable terroirs, we found ourselves meandering through quaint fishing villages, feasting our eyes on a vivid palette of pastel-painted dwellings and olive groves set against a glimmering cerulean sea. In one such village, perched on a hillside above the shore, sits the charming Punta Crena cantina. It is the epitome of a family-run operation, equal parts chaos and contentment. The joy is palpable—three generations, all thriving and brimming with zeal, rooted around their humble cellar in Varigotti.
    Less than a mile away, the Vermentino grapes for Vigneto Isasco grow on a gravelly, red clay slope where they soak up the site’s abundant minerals, salty breezes, and Mediterranean sun. The resulting bianco evokes a pristine sense of place with delightful, almost briny salinity and crisp, citrus-scented freshness. Locals enjoy it with lumache, a Ligurian specialty of steamed snails doused in herbs and butter. For a more garden-variety pairing, marine mollusks (prepared in a similar fashion) will make for a delicious match.

In Liguria’s mountainous province of Imperia, a minuscule appellation of incredible terroir surrounds the commune of Dolceacqua. It is in this northwestern corner of Italy that Rossese, Liguria’s prized red grape, reaches its greatest potential. The vines are grown on stone terraces built into steep cliffs—the term Rossese comes from rocciese, meaning “rocky”—and require daunting, everything-by-hand labor. Alessandro Anfosso’s family has tirelessly toiled here since the late 1800s, and the craftsmanship of their wines reflects venerable, generations-old mastery.
   The Fulavin is consistently the most velvety and plush in Anfosso’s lineup, and the 2019 is no exception—it seems to perfectly toe the line between easy-drinking and complex. Expect bright berry fruit with floral notes, a touch of smoke and leather, silky spice, and an earthy, mineral finish.