Cortese

Do you like pesto? How about basil and oregano? Then, you are in luck today as we head high up in to the Piemonte region of Italy in the foothills of the Italian Alps. To be more precise, we're in the town of Gavi about an hour north of Genoa in the western part of the country. We're here today to learn about Cortese di Gavi, more frequently known simply as Cortese.

The town was long a battleground. Once in the heart of the western part of the Roman Empire,  it was taken from the Romans by the Magyars from what is now Hungary and later by the Saracens invading from north Africa. Many centuries later, the French took over Gavi before it was recaptured by the Genovese. By the early 19th century, the Kingdom of Sardinia lay claim.

Today, the only remnants are the fortress that encircled the city center and the palace, the palace itself a medieval church. More so than for its history, today it is far better known for this single grape that we get to enjoy today.

It's a grape with a long history. The Genovese fisherman have enjoyed it with their catch of the day since at least the 17th century. Back then, it was as other wines of the time, largely there for the pleasure derived from the alcohol. However, Gavi was awarded DOC status in the early 70s and DOCG status in the late 80s meaning that the Italian wine industry recognized these as excellent wines.

Upon looking at the bottle, we note a distinctive straw coloring. The nose tends to vary from producer to producer, but quite characteristic are limes, meyer lemons, and a local green plaum.

On the palate, our Cortese is absolutely bone dry, light to medium-bodied, fairly acidic, and usually not very high in alcohol (12% ABV would be considered an average Cortese. 

We get interesting notes of almond and pine nuts on the palate, particularly on the front sides, along with Meyer lemon, and a bit of apple. As we move mid to back palate, we get the dry minerality and a bit of natural salinity of seashells just washed ashore.

Pair your Cortese with white fish, particularly heavily seasoned with traditional Italian herbs and garlic-rich sauces like pesto. If you need a different pairing, try the same dish with extra garlic.