Simon’s Wine of the Week is Gavi di Gavi Santa Seraffa

Last week we were ‘behind the knee’ of the boot of Italy. This week we’re staying with the same country but heading further north, to Piemonte, the ‘upper thigh’ as it were!

Piemonte (or Piedmont in English) literally means ‘the foot of the mountains’. It’s one of Italy’s most renowned wine growing regions and is famous for the wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera D’Alba amongst others. It is a wine lovers paradise. Whilst Piemonte is known for its full-bodied, long-lived reds it makes all sorts of wine (it’s also responsible for the semi-sweet sparkling wine that is Asti Spumante) but in terms of whites it has an ace up its sleeve, the Cortese grape.

Cortese is found pretty much exclusively in Italy as it doesn’t seem to travel well. I’ve tasted one example from Australia but that’s the only bottle I’ve ever even seen outside its heartland. Even in Italy there are plantings outside of Piemonte but it’s in the South of the region that it thrives. And the most famous wine made from Cortese by a miglio di campagna is Gavi.

Now a lot of people know that there are two wines from Gavi; one is plain old Gavi, the other is Gavi di Gavi, literally ‘Gavi from Gavi’. And there’s a lot of confusion about the differences between the two wines. Let’s clear that up:

• Gavi di Gavi - This wine is made from the vineyards situated directly around the town of Gavi itself. Simple.
• Gavi - If it’s just labelled Gavi then it is wine made from the vineyards of the 11 communes that surround the township. There you go.

And (this is the bit that sometimes people get wrong) there is no difference whatsoever in the style or quality of the wine. None at all. A lot of people think that Gavi di Gavi must be better as it is from the central vineyards, but this is in no way true. There are some great wines from Gavi and some distinctly average ones from Gavi di Gavi, and vice versa. Luckily for you all our wines, whether they be Gavi, or Gavi di Gavi, are superb. You would expect nothing less.

The other thing you need to know is that Gavi is extraordinarily popular amongst middle-aged men. No idea why. And I say that as a middle-aged man.

So, to today’s Wine of the Week. It is a Gavi di Gavi, so it does come from the vineyards of the township. And it’s a beauty. A tinge of green in the glass, the nose is intense and expressive with star-bright citrus, apple, pear with just a touch of tropical fruit. The palate is dry and crisp with lots of zingy flavours, think freshly grated lemon zest, honeydew melon, red apple, almond and perhaps a hint of fresh rain on pebbles. It’s got a long and refreshing finish and just enough crisp acidity to keep you coming back for more.

Gavi is perennially popular in wine lists and usually sits towards the higher end. It’s an absolute must with seafood (it’s served a lot in Genoa with locally caught seafood), but is a great pairing for goat’s cheese, sushi, and lighter chicken dishes. Or drink it on its own in the September sun.

Have a great week all,

Simon