Before anyone worries, I’m talking about wines here! Maybe I should reword that title? Might get some card carrying BNP members clicking on the link, but sod it, I’ll take the extra readers for the day!
Piemonte is mostly famous for its red wines. Barolo and Barbaresco are known amongst wine-o’s the world over. Dolcetto and Barbera have been filling dinner tables for centuries across Europe and are now having their day in the sun on the vineyards of the USA and Argentina. Somehow the whites round here just don’t get as much of a look in.
Again, the problem with Italy is that there’s just so bloody many of them. Go to a different village down the road and they’ll be drinking something else and so on. But 3 white grapes have really stood out for me the time I’ve been here. Erbaluce, Arneis, and Cortese (the grape that makes Gavi).
Gavi is arguably the most famous export in terms of whites round here. When I was picking which white to go for it was the only one where you can buy it at all the shops I cover. It’s also the wine you can buy at most restaurants in the UK with a decent Italian wine selection.
Beauty of these whites is that they’re made under great control, in great growing areas, but they’re not all that famous yet. Which means…they’re a steal! Next time you go to a swanky restaurant, looking for something with a bit of minerality to go with the fish, these’ll be half the price of the whites you’d usually end up ordering.
Cheers
Other posts in #NWTW Week 34
#NWTW Week 34: ON TOUR –Gavi from Italy
Photo References
The town of Gavi in Piemonte
