Italian wine and grape guide : Pigato

The Pigato grape is of Ligurian origin, as it also is the Vermentino, that has since spread from Liguria to other Italian regions. These origins are still the subject of an ongoing discussion, since Pigato is very similar to the Vermentino, or even to the Piedmont Favorita. DNA studies have recently confirmed the common origin of these three varieties. We find Pigato mainly in the western Ligurian Riviera, and in the Val Polcèvera area, together with the Vermentino, which appears as a distinct type. Its name comes from the dialect “picau”, meaning speckled, by the presence of small dots (pigghe) on the grapes. The berry is white, medium-large, spheroid with waxy, yellow-amber or green skin (depending on exposure). The bunch is medium or medium-large, cylindrical or pyramidal, medium loose with a medium-large, pentagonal, five-lobed leaf. The Pigato vine prefers sunny and hilly terrain, close to the sea. This vine has medium vigor and time of average maturity, good and regular production. The Pigato grape variety gives a pale yellow wine with greenish hues, floral aromas and hints of minerality. The taste is dry, fruity, slightly bitter, smooth and harmonious.