Rossese is a red grape found in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy bordering France and on the western side of Liguria itself. It is best known for the wines of the Rossese di Dolceaqua DOC. It can be found as single varietal, but also as a blending partner. It is one of the top red grapes of the Liguria wine region along with Dolcetto. It is...

The 63rd Genoa International Boat Show, an absolute world-class event that is a flagship of Made in Italy, opens with record numbers not only in terms of exhibitor and visitor attendance but also and especially in economic terms. In fact, the Italian shipbuilding industry is going gangbusters with production and market results that from month to mo...

I’m up early in my favourite village on the Italian Riviera, as the morning sun touches the tip of Vernazza’s bell tower and greets a peaceful world. The air is damp, cool, and refreshing as I wander downhill, passing underneath the train tracks. I enjoy the fact that the town is essentially traffic-free, and realize that many of my favorite Italia...

It’s astounding how many everyday English words have their roots in Italian: think confetti, stilettos, casino, volcano, influenza, and quarantine, just to name a handful. However, there are also many words making their way into everyday language that find their origins in specific Italian cities. Items were often titled after their places of origi...

Not many know that focaccia, timeless masterpiece of Italian cuisine, was born in the bustling kitchens of antiquity. Indeed this flatbread, sumptuously rich in olive oil and steeped in history, serves as a culinary bridge between past and present.  The debate over focaccia’s exact origin is a fascinating journey through time. While some historians...

When planning a trip to Liguria, the five villages of Cinque Terre most famously spring to mind. But with nearly 2.4 million people wandering through these towns every year, it can make the scenery a little less enjoyable. Liguria’s long stretch of coastline from the French border to Tuscany encompasses so much more than just these five hot spots,...

In Italy there are several Literary Parks dedicated to famous authors and literary works known all over the world, itineraries that start from literature and skillfully intertwine with history, music and traditions of a territory. Literary parks are a good opportunity to experience cultural tourism, giving places a rich and different added value. L...

I had never considered food a time machine. Yet, here I was, holding a fresh piece of focaccia, and suddenly I was transported back to a decade ago, when I first visited the positively quaint community of Camogli, a village nestled along the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea in northern Italy. As I watched the waves gently lap the pebble-laden beach in...

Today, as the warm summer sun bathes the Italian Riviera in a golden glow, my childhood memories begin to take shape. My parents and I would often visit a dear friend who had a home in Rapallo, a pretty town on the Riviera di Levante. Those were the days of carefree laughter, endless exploration, and giant slices of Recco-style focaccia, enjoyed wa...

“How did you even know about this place?” It’s the question I’m asked by nearly every Italian in the small town of Ospedaletti, Liguria. Travel writers love being the first to “discover” a place. We pride ourselves on scouring the globe for hidden gems so we can share them with the world. But here’s the rub: Sometimes a  place is so charming and so...