Favorita Wine Guide

Favorita is a historic vine of Piedmont, cultivated on the left bank of the Tanaro river since ancient times, so much so that we have news of it since 1677 when it was mentioned in an accounting book of a Roero winery, the legendary accounts who gave the name to this splendid territory.

Today Favorita wine is in decline, it is not that it is a great protagonist of Piedmontese enology, on the contrary, it has been supplanted by Arneis, a much more docile and productive grape. And it is a pity because it is a great beautiful wine. And as proof of this it is enough to see how widespread Pigato is in Liguria, because yes, Pigato and Favorita are genetically the same vines. Except that in Liguria it finds perfect conditions, thanks to good temperature ranges and the influence of the sea. In Piedmont, in the Roero and also in the Canelli area, it finds altitude, but not a great mineral boost and for this reason, it is slightly lacking. Or at least compared to the different Ligurian twin.

But what is special about the Favorita wine and why is it still cultivated? Because it is a very elegant, compact, aromatic white wine, but expressive. After all Pigato and Favorita are particular clones of Vermentino, in turn, related to Malvasia.

But the point is that in Piedmont the Favorita has always been a convivial, pleasant, quite elegant wine, even if not of the highest level. Nowadays, production is declining, but those who still do it interpret it as an everyday wine, as an appetizer, like a fish, but there are no absolute champions.

Favorita wine bouquet

Elegant, subtle nose, well designed with clear aromas of apricot and peaches, all framed by floral scents, broom, honey and aromatic herbs. It is expressive, but never overbearing. The aromatic volume is varied, fine and persistent.

What does Favorita wine taste like?

The grapes of the Favorita vine come to full ripeness only at the end of September and are usually harvested in October. The maturation is quite long, it needs time to reach full polyphenolic maturity, so the flavor also depends a lot on this. It has a lot of acidity, so you can also dare and aim for very full wines, but usually, in Piedmont, you don’t look for a great concentration.

Good acidity, medium body, moderate sapidity, not excessive alcohol and good softness. It is a wine that, at least in Piedmont, is full, but softened by a good freshness that tastes of citrus. The tones are herbaceous even on the palate, it is not a fat wine, but rather has a certain austere boldness. Well done, but, usually, no depth samples are found.

Favorita food pairings

Fish, sushi, veal with tuna sauce, duck, Thai food such as pad thai and chicken curry.