Vinous

DOC · Appellation profile

Val Polcèvera

37,796 haProduction zone
16Wines in the rules
18.8 °CGrowing season · warm
IIIWinkler region

What is made here

Wine colours

Colours the rules allow. Pick a colour to filter the rules and grapes below.

Where it is

Val Polcèvera in Italy

Latitude
44.4°–44.6° N
Production zone
37,796 ha

Boundary drawn from whole communes, so it is a little larger than the legal zone. Boundary: Eurac Research PDO inventory (CC0). Country outlines: Natural Earth. Dots on the zone map are the vineyard points used for climate.

Showing every colour The colour filter changes the rules and grapes. Climate, vintages and soils describe the vineyards, so they stay the same.

01 · What the law says

The rules

Limits on grapes, yields, ripeness and ageing that every wine labelled Val Polcèvera must meet.

16 wines in the rules, all colours.
WineMain grape(s)Max yield
t/ha		Max wine
hl/ha		Wine from grapes
max. %		Grape ripeness
min. % pot. alc.		Wine
min. % alc.		Actual alc.
min. %		Acidity
min. g/l		Dry extract
min. g/l
Val Polcevera Rosso 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo9.567701010.5–4.517
Val Polcevera Rosso Novello 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo9.567701011–4.517
Val Polcevera Rosso Frizzante 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo9.567701010.5–4.517
Val Polcevera Rosato 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo9.567701010.5–4.515
Val Polcevera Rosato Frizzante 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo9.567701010.5–4.515
Val Polcevera Vermentino 85% Vermentino9.567––10.5–4.515
Val Polcevera Bianco 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola9.567709.510–4.514
Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese 85% Bianchetta Genovese9.567––10.5–4.514
Val Polcevera Bianco Passito 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola9.548501016144.519
Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese Frizzante 85% Bianchetta Genovese9.567––10.5–4.514
Val Polcevera Bianco Spumante di Qualità (white) Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Vermentino9.567––––––
Val Polcevera Coronata 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola9677010.511–4.514
Val Polcevera Bianco Frizzante 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola9.567709.510–4.514
Val Polcevera Vermentino Frizzante 85% Vermentino9.567––10.5–4.515
Val Polcevera Bianco Spumante di Qualità (white) Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Vermentino9.567––––––
Val Polcevera Bianco Spumante di Qualità 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola9.567709.511–514

From the official production rules (disciplinare di produzione). Hover a figure to see the clause it comes from. A dash means the rules set no figure, or it is not captured yet.

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Rosso

  • ≥ 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic black grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Rosso Novello

  • ≥ 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic black grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Rosso Frizzante

  • ≥ 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic black grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Rosato

  • ≥ 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic black grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Rosato Frizzante

  • ≥ 60% Dolcetto / Sangiovese / Ciliegiolo · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic black grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Vermentino

  • ≥ 85% Vermentino · Main grape
  • ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianco

  • ≥ 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese

  • ≥ 85% Bianchetta Genovese · Main grape
  • ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianco Passito

  • ≥ 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese Frizzante

  • ≥ 85% Bianchetta Genovese · Main grape
  • ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Coronata

  • ≥ 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianco Frizzante

  • ≥ 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Vermentino Frizzante

  • ≥ 85% Vermentino · Main grape
  • ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Blend rules

Val Polcevera Bianco Spumante di Qualità

  • ≥ 60% Vermentino / Bianchetta Genovese / Albarola · Main grape
  • ≤ 40% other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Liguria · Others allowed

Other varieties allowed

Besides the main grapes, the rules allow these varieties in some wines. Grape names link where a profile exists.

12 varieties · 5 wines

Albarossa, Alicante, Barbera, Barsaglina, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Merlot, Pollera Nera, Rossese, Syrah, Vermentino Nero

15 varieties · Val Polcevera Vermentino, Val Polcevera Vermentino Frizzante

Albana, Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Bosco, Greco, Lumassina, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Pigato, Rollo, Rossese Bianco, Ruzzese, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscia', Trebbiano Toscano

13 varieties · 6 wines

Albana, Bosco, Greco, Lumassina, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Pigato, Rollo, Rossese Bianco, Ruzzese, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscia', Trebbiano Toscano

15 varieties · Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese, Val Polcevera Bianchetta Genovese Frizzante

Albana, Albarola, Bosco, Greco, Lumassina, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Pigato, Rollo, Rossese Bianco, Ruzzese, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscia', Trebbiano Toscano, Vermentino

16 varieties · Val Polcevera Coronata

Albana, Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Bosco, Greco, Lumassina, Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Pigato, Rollo, Rossese Bianco, Ruzzese, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscia', Trebbiano Toscano, Vermentino

In the vineyard and cellar: rules for every wine

4,000
Vines per hectare, minimum
No forcing
Forcing the vines is prohibited
Emergency only
Irrigation

02 · Climate fingerprint

The climate

The growing season averages 18.8 °C, warm on Gregory Jones's scale, with 1,876 growing degree days (Winkler III).

The average year  1991–2020, vineyards at about 105 m

Monthly mean, °CRain, mmGrowing season
6.0° 96 Jan 6.6° 77 Feb 9.7° 89 Mar 12.8° 105 Apr 16.7° 100 May 20.6° 78 Jun 23.2° 53 Jul 23.4° 68 Aug 19.4° 124 Sep 15.2° 166 Oct 10.4° 191 Nov 6.8° 118 Dec
Growing-season temperature
18.8 °C
Warm · 17–19 °C (Jones)
Growing degree days
1,876
Region III: 1,667–1,943 degree days
Growing-season rain
693 mm
Of 1,264 mm a year
Harvest rain
289 mm
September–October

Copernicus ERA5-Land monthly averages at 1 vineyard points (Vineyard point 1, 105 m), moved to each point's height from the model's terrain. Indices that need daily data are not captured yet. How the climate figures are made.

Lower confidence:Monthly reanalysis in moderately complex terrain; not yet checked against a weather station.

Closest climates in the database

Picked by the data, not by hand: the profiles nearest on season warmth (counted twice), degree days, rain, ripening-month nights and day–night range. Neighbours within 30 km are left out, as they share the same weather.

1. Recioto di GambellaraVery similarCompared with Val Polcèvera: same season warmth, similar rain.
2. Candia dei Colli ApuaniVery similarCompared with Val Polcèvera: same season warmth, similar rain.
3. Hrvatsko primorjeVery similarCompared with Val Polcèvera: same season warmth, similar rain.

Growing-season temperature

Val Polcèvera
18.8 °C
Recioto di Gambellara
18.7 °C
Candia dei Colli Apuani
18.8 °C
Hrvatsko primorje
18.7 °C

Growing degree days

Val Polcèvera
1,876
Recioto di Gambellara
1,860
Candia dei Colli Apuani
1,880
Hrvatsko primorje
1,866

Growing-season rain

Val Polcèvera
693 mm
Recioto di Gambellara
689 mm
Candia dei Colli Apuani
726 mm
Hrvatsko primorje
721 mm

03 · Year by year

35 vintages

Each column is one growing season: heat above or below the 1991–2020 average, and rain at harvest. Pick a year for the details.

Warmer than averageCooler than averageHarvest rain (Sep–Oct)Average harvest rain, 289 mm
2025
Growing-season temp.
Growing degree days
Harvest rain
Growing-season rain
September nights
Hot days and frosts

Seasons are labelled by harvest year (April–October). Year-to-year changes from ERA5-Land; tested against station records in Alto Adige (r = 0.94 for season temperature at Bolzano). Rain varies more locally, so treat single-season rain with some caution. Vintage ratings, harvest dates and frost or hail events have places in the data model but are not loaded yet.

04 · Where the numbers come from

Sources

  1. A geospatial inventory of regulatory information for wine protected designations of origin in Europe · Candiago et al., Scientific Data 9, 394 (2022); Eurac Research · CC0
  2. Quality wines in Italy and France: a dataset of PDO specifications · figshare 25393261 · CC BY 4.0
  3. ERA5-Land monthly averaged data (reanalysis-era5-land-monthly-means) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Climate Data Store · CC BY 4.0 (Copernicus licence)
  4. Disciplinare di produzione: Val Polcèvera (version published by MASAF up to May 2023, via the Internet Archive; later amendments not yet included) · Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste (MASAF) · Official act
  5. Climate profiles calculated by Vinous: method
Still to check (3)
  • Generated from EU reference data: check against the current product specification.
  • From the specification: Vinification may take place anywhere in Liguria (sparkling and frizzante elaboration also in neighbouring regions). The yield tables list only bianco, rosso, rosato, passito and Coronata, so yields for the Bianchetta Genovese and Vermentino varietal wines are left null; frizzante, spumante and novello types are given their colour's row. Coronata is a white-wine subzone; novello needs carbonic maceration of at least 40% of the grapes; passito grapes are dried to 260 g/l sugar.
  • National tier (DOC/DOCG) not captured yet; rules extracted from the specification text.