Liguria has become the Instagram influencer’s home away from home—but we’re here to show you another side of this molto-fotogenico coastline: the picture-perfect terroir of Rossese.

Regions like Burgundy and the Mosel are by-words for terroir. Part of the thrill of discovering those regions is exploring the subtle shifts in a wine that tiny changes in soil, slope, and exposure can make. But Burgundy and the Mosel don’t have a monopoly on that sort of terroir magic, as Giovanna Maccario’s two Rossese wines prove.

Giovanna farms old vines—many over 120 years—planted on steep terrain just a few miles from the sea. She works without oak and with a gentle hand, so the sites can speak clearly. And they do. Luvaira, from a vineyard that faces the Mediterranean more directly, is structured and mineral, with fine tannins and delicious fruit. Posau, grown in a natural amphitheater tucked between the sea and the Alps, leans juicier, heartier and more spiced—but still with a zippy, even tangy, finish.
 
Rossese, like Dolceacqua itself, is more than a little off the beaten path. It’s an ancient Ligurian grape (also found just across the border in Provence), where it’s known as Tibouren and occasionally shows up in rosés (like Flatiron fave Clos Cibonne). It doesn’t have anything like Pinot Noir’s or Riesling’s reputation for terroir expression and to the extent Ligurian examples are known in America, it’s the light-bodied, fish-friendly red wines of summer vacations. 

But these wines show that the Rossese can make true wines of terroir. A few of us got to taste the two bottles side by side, and the reactions were almost as distinctive as the vineyards. Some loved Luvaira’s structure and minerality; others were drawn to Posau’s brightness, spice and savory snap. But everyone agreed both wines were delicious—and would be perfect with almost any Italian meal: pizza or pasta, of course, but also mushroom risotto, grilled fish, or whatever's in your CSA box this week.

So don’t feel bad if you aren’t going to do the influencer trip Liguria. Just grab a couple of bottles of each and take a trip to the Mediterranean hills.

Maccario Dringenberg Rossese di Dolceacqua "Posau," 2023 $44.99 From an amphitheater-shaped vineyard between the sea and Maritime Alps. Juicy and vibrant with pronounced spice and minerality that builds through the mid-palate to an electric finish. 
 
Maccario Dringenberg Rossese di Dolceacqua "Luvaira", 2023 $44.99 Directly facing the Mediterranean, this site gives a wine with even finer tannins, more mineral, and more lushness.