Gavi is one of those mysterious Italian wines that is made with one of those mysterious Italian grapes, the cortese. It's a white wine that comes from the Gavi region in a corner of Piedmont, there isn't a whole lot of it, what there is usually doesn't make it to the middle of the country, and it's often quite pricey. If I see Gavi at all, it's on restaurant wine lists, and even then it usually takes a back seat to the Super Tuscans and the rest of the publicity hounds.
So when I found the Araldica ($14, purchased) at a Dallas shop that specializes in Italian wine, and at a price about two-thirds of what most quality Gavis cost, I bought it. And I'm glad I did. The Araldica was much better than I had any right to expect, especially for the price. It had a bit of spice and some lemon fruit, and though it wasn't very sophisticated -- no sun-drenched Italian beaches, which is what a great Gavi brings to mind -- it was fresh and clean.
I took it to dinner with a wine rep friend of mine, and it was much better than the tired, chain-style Italian food that the restaurant served. Serve the Araldica with any seafood and especially shellfish, and I'm going to buy another bottle to have with spaghetti with clam sauce.
I enjoy Gavi, but am hesitant to order it in a restaurant, as I am not familiar with the producers to order confidently.
however, I will order the Gavi before the over priced Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio anyday.
Posted by: brian | February 18, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Sounds like I need to look for Gavi next time I'm out. Sounds like the kind of white wine I enjoy.
Posted by: Denise | February 18, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Wow. Two comments on a white wine. review. Now we're making some progress, given that red wine reviews are so much more popular here. Thank you, Brian and Denise.
Posted by: Jeff Siegel | February 18, 2011 at 12:57 PM