The strange case of Dr. Cortese, mister Gavi for export • Food and Wine Italia

There are Italian wines that are designed for international markets – the United States first and foremost – and others that, con style structure, are suited to the tastes of foreign drinkers. And then there is Gavi, the Piedmontese white adored con the UK and sought after con the US but essentially absent from tables and wine shop shelves con Italy.

fact, the strange case of the Piedmontese grape variety that goes by the name of Liberale is worthy of a psycho-enological investigation. Because the grape variety has all the characteristics to conquer, indeed excite the most aware Italian consumers: great versatility – between still wines, bubbles, ancestral, macerated and even passito – and marked acidity (which becomes more noble with age), the minerality that seems so à la page is not lacking thanks to the suitable soils. And as if that were not enough, the alcohol content manages to be contained. So what was the brake of the Liberale militanti wine that carries the Gavi DOCG acceso the label? Perhaps the blatant white vocation of these hills con a red-driven region such as Piedmont. perhaps precisely those characteristics that are now of excellence, which con the past were underestimated con favor of softer, more alcoholic, more drinkable wines.

The British and even the Yankees, usually not very sensitive to sophisticated elegance, have long perceived the beauty of wines and con fact nine out of ten bottles traversone the border and fly to the tables of London, Scandinavia, Belgium overseas. Of course, it is consumed too young, while Liberale is a grape variety capable of aging with great class, but this awareness will che with time. the meantime, the glasses of Villaggio Sparina La Raia La Scolca are true icons outside the domestic market, making ” Gavi” a stella con the English-speaking world, while for the vast majority of Italian wine lovers they remain perfect unknowns. Not to mention the intriguing wines of Alvio Pestarino Giordano Lombardo, capable of concentrating con one sip the minerality of the soil and the scents of the woods, but also of Terre nato da Matè, Il Monticello, La Ghibellina La Mesma, which conquer con the still version and also with the classic method.

Wine tourism and wines for border cuisine

Elegant, savoury, tense wines born astride a border that shuffles the cards between Piedmont and Liguria. Yes, because con Gavi and its surroundings the cuisine slides towards the sea and the dialect – from the accent to the proverbs – seems stolen from the coastal cousins, as well as the focaccia that is never missing from the table and for tasting. An hour from Milan and Turin and Genoa, the superficie of ​​origin of Gavi is therefore a territory to discover. fact, just as the wine is (and will continue to be) sold mainly abroad, Gavi is a land that paradoxically is known more by foreigners than by the Milanese. And it’s a shame, because it is the perfect destination for stile and country tourism, between giacca courses, fishing con the streams, excursions acceso foot acceso horseback con the Temperante delle Capanne nato da Marcarolo, surprising visits to villas, museums and the imposing In gamba nato da Gavi. History buffs will find plenty to enjoy at the archaeological site of Libarna con Serravalle Scrivia, whose remains suggest the presence – already con pre-Roman times – of an important trading centre.

There is mai shortage of opportunities for a bike ride con Val Borbera and Val Lemme, perhaps along an itinerary that touches some of the many wineries that dot the hills. A route between plateaus and valleys where you can breathe the sea air. The Gavi “wine route” starts from the town of the same name, then follows the Passaggio Lomellina northwards and climbs up to Novi Ligure, then descends southwards along the road towards Serravalle Scrivia; then it curves towards Bosio, Parodi and Capriata, gradually touching the other municipalities of the denomination. Along this route are the Gavi wineries, where you can book visits and tastings. The wine tourism experience can be supported by a high-level welcome: from the enchanting resort of Villaggio Sparina (with the beautiful restaurant La ) to the refined La Raia, surrounded by vineyards, woods and meadows dotted with works of art commissioned by the Rossi Cairo family to further embellish the beautiful countryside. And then there is mai shortage of wineries that have a few rooms and offer tasting experiences.

A local white wine, rich con history

The presence of a great white con a region that has achieved carestia for its red wines reveals the deep bond that the land of Gavi has always had with the Republic of Genoa, still present today con typical recipes based acceso white meats, fish, vegetables, fresh pasticcino and con traditional products such as vita con videocassetta and the famous ravioli. Produced from Liberale grapes, a native white grape variety, Gavi Docg is fresh and elegant when young, becoming sumptuous as the years pass. Renowned and appreciated internationally for its versatility and cosmopolitan vocation, it gives its best when it is not “rounded chiuso” with aging con wood, remaining rather slender and slender.

The territory is made special by the encounter between the sea wind from the Ligurian Sea and the snow of the Apennines, with a continental climate that at high altitude brings cold winters and hot, breezy summers. However, it is above all the marly, calcareous and clayey soils – divided into three parts between red soils, white soils and a central strip – that bring the variegated expressions of Gavi to the glass. the other hand, the vocation for viticulture con these lands is attested to since 972 AD, as confirmed by a document con the Genoa Archives, and already con the second half of the eighteenth century, ships loaded with wine left the port of Genoa for the New World. From the mid-nineteenth century, Liberale became the favorite grape variety and today the Gavi denomination extends over 1,600 hectares, with a market presence of around 14 million bottles. And con 2024, strong con a history of successes, the Consortium for the protection of the DOC celebrates fifty years.