Gavi DOCG 'The Great White of Piedmont'

Though long considered the white wine jewel in Piedmont’s famously red crown, the style of the region’s wines owes as much to the neighbouring province of Liguria and its capital city, Genoa, an historic Mediterranean port.  Gavi’s indigenous variety, Cortese - the only grape permitted in its DOCG wines - thrives in the region’s singular climate, a frontier where the plains meet the mountains, as mild sea breezes are channeled across its undulating terrain towards the snow-capped Apennines that form Italy’s central spine. 

“Gavi DOCG is the most produced white wine in Piedmont and is the most widely distributed internationally, the flagship white of excellence from this region” says Maurizio Montobbio, president of Consorzio Tutela del Gavi.

Terroir

At an altitude between 180 and 450 metres, Gavi’s 1,600 hectares of vineyards enjoy a moderate, continental climate, characterised by cold winters and warm, breezy summers, while the region’s soils can be broadly divided into three distinctive geographical zones that influence the nuanced styles of Gavi that have made it famous: those dominated by red or white soils and a central band that contains a fascinating mix of different soils. 

The northern part of the DOCG, where the plains that sweep into the province of Alessandria begin to form gentle hills, is where the red soils are to be found, dominant in clay that’s particularly rich in iron from alluvial deposits along the course of former rivers.  It is an area that enjoys the warmest conditions in the region, producing wines celebrated for their richer body and structure.  The central strip, consisting of alternating layers of marl and sandstone, with terraces of clay, sand and pebbles, tends to produce wines renowned for their balance of firm structure and a signature fruitiness.  Lying in the southernmost part of the region, where the land starts to climb steeply towards the Apennines, the white soils are characterised by sedimentary rock, the strata imbued with fossils and other former marine life, while the climate is cooler, resulting in wines distinguished by their delicate aromas, sense of finesse and also a marked minerality.

Encompassing rolling hills and sweeping valleys, beginning just twenty miles from the shores of the Mediterranean, the vineyards of the Gavi DOCG are punctuated by woodland copses, lush meadows and fertile farmland, with wines produced across 11 different municipalities within the province of Alessandria: Bosio, Carrosio, Capriata d'Orba, Francavilla Bisio, Gavi, Novi Ligure, Parodi Ligure, Pasturana, San Cristoforo, Serravalle Scrivia and Tassarolo.

Food Pairing

Though Gavi is known as the ‘Grande Bianco Piemontese’, the ‘Great White of Piedmont’, its wines have traditionally been paired with the distinctive specialities of neighbouring Liguria, such as its famous focaccia breads, farinata (a delicious savoury pancake made from chickpea flour), fresh pesto or meat-stuffed ravioli, a dish said to be linked to the famous Raviolo family who lived in Gavi. 

“The winemaking production of a region is always linked to its cuisine.  The Gavi area was once the residence of some of the most important Genoese families who owned properties, castles, and agricultural land. It is the Genoese influence that has characterised the cuisine of this part of Piedmont, near to the sea: ravioli, vegetable pies, rice cakes, focaccia, and fried anchovies. These are the traditional Ligurian dishes that perfectly pair with Gavi,” says Montobbio.  

Beyond Italy’s own world-conquering cuisine, the export success of Gavi is testimony to the wine’s delicate charm and its reputation as a food-friendly wine with an ability to complement a diversity of dishes, all over the globe, from delicate raw sashimi to rich sauces and even potent curry spices.

“The versatility of Gavi makes it easily paired with different cuisines, including Middle Eastern and Asian ones. Its easy-drinking nature naturally aligns with the current market with consumer preferences for white wines that complement lighter and more conscious dietary choices,” adds the president.

Gavi DOCG comes in a range of styles, with four official categories that are easy to understand: Tranquillo is overwhelmingly the most familiar style, a still wine that’s both gentle and fruity in character, which accounts for about 99% of the region’s production; Frizzante is a traditional lighter form of sparkling wine that’s relatively rare these days; Spumante, a more vigorous sparkler is made by the ‘Metodo Classico’ (the Italian reference for ‘Traditional Method’) with a minimum of six months ageing on lees adding complexity and depth; and finally, Riserva, a category for still wines entails lower maximum permitted yields and at least a year’s ageing, of which nine months must be in bottle.

"The versatility of Gavi makes it easily paired with different cuisines, including Middle Eastern and Asian ones. Its easy-drinking nature naturally aligns with the current market with consumer preferences for white wines that complement lighter and more conscious dietary choices"
Maurizio Montobbio, president of Consorzio Tutela del Gavi.

While Gavi’s impressive versatility might be well understood, its ability to age is arguably less well known, though that’s already starting to change as its wines are cellared for future enjoyment.  Aside from Cortese’s signature freshness, Gavi DOCG Riserva wines offer a greater breadth of fruit aromas, complemented by gentle tertiary characteristics, a fuller, richer minerality on the palate, supported by notes of bitter almond, leading into a long, memorable finish. 

“If the young version of Gavi is more approachable, though never banal, the older vintages offer an aromatic profile of great complexity and depth, preserving their freshness and perfectly holding their own against the world's great white wines,” says Montobbio.