Escape the heat — and familiar grapes — with this refreshing summer white wine
Principessa Gavia Gavi offers an opportunity to forego the familiar pantheon of so-called “noble grapes” in favor of the relatively obscure Cortese green grape in a white that is brisk and refreshing.
Principessa Gavia Gavi, Piedmont, Italy, $16.79
12% alcohol
PLCB Item #7358
Sale price through June 30; regularly $19.79
The wine world has come to be defined by famous grape varieties, most of which trace their lineage to one of the main wine regions of France. Stores showcase an exhausting proliferation of chardonnays and sauvignon blancs, pinots and cabernets, as if these varieties were as distinct and consistent as flavors of ice cream. However, one can still find a few wine aisles where the old European system of nomenclature — where grape variety isn’t even mentioned — still dominates. Some Italian wines sport grape names on their labels, but many, like this summer white, do not. This refreshing wine offers an opportunity to forgo the familiar pantheon of so-called “noble grapes” and embrace adventure by sampling a wine made with 100% Cortese, a relatively obscure green grape.
Grape varieties rarely appeared in wine names before the 19th century, since a winery’s location and family name were considered far more important indicators of style and quality potential. Which particular grape was planted and whether it was used exclusively, or as part of a blend, was relevant only to the winemaker.
In this manner of thinking, the fact that this wine comes from the village of Gavi in Piedmont, a northern region that produces some of Italy’s finest wines, is more important than its grape’s pedigree. Being estate grown, or vinified from the fruit of the winery’s own vineyards, and being produced by one of the most prominent and trusted of Italy’s family-owned wine companies should be reason enough to give the wine a try. Those who do will be delighted to find a brisk and refreshing un-oaked white wine that is unusually dry, delicate, and light-bodied. With a balance that will please fans of sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio alike, it features subtle flavors of apples, pears, and pine nuts, with a suggestion of bitterness in the finish that cleanses the palate as nicely as an icy glass of sparkling mineral water.
Also available at:
Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, $15.49
Canal’s Liquors in Pennsauken, $15.99
Total Wine & More in Cherry Hill, $16.99