Wine of the Week: 2011 La Ginestraia Pigato Riviera Ligure di Ponente

Pigato is one of the little-known Italian wines sommeliers love to surprise guests with. This one is terrific — lithe and minerally, with an earthiness that plays well against an ever-so-slight sweetness. In short, this lovely white wine from Liguria has a presence. La Ginestraia is a new venture for Marco Brangero of Brangero in Diano d’Alba in Piedmont, already well known for his Dolcetto d’Alba. The grapes for La Ginestraia come from a vineyard in Ortovero, seven miles inland from the Mediterranean, that dates from the 1700s.

Pigato wants food. I had it with clams in parsley sauce, but it would be wonderful with gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), fish chowder, steamed mussels or a whole grilled fish. And, of course, sushi.

Region: Liguria, Italy

Price: $17 to $20

Style: Dry and minerally

What it goes with: Shrimp and other shellfish, grilled whole fish, sushi

Where to find it: John and Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080, https://www.johnandpetes.com; K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, https://www.klwines.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, https://www.winex.com; the Wine Gallery in Corona del Mar, (949) 675-3410, https://www.cdmwinegallery.com; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, https://www.winehouse.com.

[email protected]