Gavi / Cortese di Gavi DOCG

Winegrowing at Gavi is attested by the first document kept in the Archivio di Stato di Genova, dated 3 June 972, which concerns the leasing of vines by the bishop of Genoa to two citizens of Gavi. The first reference to plantings of "viti tutte di cortese" (vines all of Cortese) appears in 1659, in correspondence between the castle of Montaldeo and the Marchese Doria. The area had been Genoese for centuries, and in the 17th century the great families of Genoa, from the Giustiniani to the Lomellini, built summer residences here; the Ligurian aristocracy chose Cortese as a court grape and spread its cultivation. The first specialized Cortese plantings date from 1856, on the Gavi estates of the Marchese Cambiaso, La Centuriona and La Toledana, and within a few decades Gavi became synonymous with dry white wine. Gavi was approved as a DOC by presidential decree of 26 June 1974 and as a DOCG by ministerial decree of 29 July 1998.

• In 1798 Count Nuvolone, vice-director of the Società Agraria di Torino, drew up the first ampelography of the vines grown in Piedmont and cited Cortese in the dialect form Corteis
• In 1869 the first ampelographic commission of the Province of Alessandria described Cortese as particularly suited to sparkling wine, and in 1924 Arturo Marescalchi's guide "I Vini tipici d'Italia" called Cortese wines "Bianchi tipo Gavi"
• In the 19th century the Genoese families Raggio, Sartorio, Serra and Spinola established large vineyards, launching Gavi's international reputation

Gavi lies in the extreme south-eastern corner of Piedmont, a physical and geological frontier where the great plain meets the mountains. The climate is transitional and moderately continental, with long, harsh winters and fairly frequent, abundant snowfall toward the southern Apennine area, and a summer season that is cooler and windier than in the nearby sub-Po area. Here the sea wind blowing from the Ligurian Sea meets the snow of the Apennines. Rain is abundant from October to April (619 mm), and summers are hot and dry, with a July minimum of 38 mm, tempered by winds from the sea; a wide day-night temperature range in the final phase of ripening enhances Gavi's aromas. Geologically the zone divides into three bands: red soils from ancient alluvial deposits north of Gavi, toward Tassarolo and Novi Ligure; alternating marls and sandstones in a central belt on a line from Serravalle Scrivia to Gavi and San Cristoforo, including the soils of Monterotondo; and white clay marls of marine origin, with numerous fossils, in the steeper south. The territory belongs to the Tertiary Piedmont Basin, and the Serravallian Marls are the characterizing formation.

• Only hillside vineyards of suitable position and aspect, on calcareous-clay-marl soils, qualify; flat, damp valley-floor sites are excluded
• The general exposure of the vineyards is north-west and south-east, with slopes that steepen toward the Apennines
• Vines are Guyot-trained, with rows 2.40 to 2.60 metres apart, vines 0.90 to 1.20 metres apart and an average of 3,300 to 5,000 vines per hectare; new plantings and replantings need at least 3,300 vines per hectare

Gavi is made from Cortese alone: the DOCG is reserved for wines from vineyards composed solely of the Cortese variety, a native vine of long-proven establishment in the zone. Cortese is a speciality of south-east Piemonte in general and Gavi in particular. Typically Gavi is straw-coloured, more or less pale, with greenish highlights, with an elegant, delicate scent of fresh fruit and white flowers, notes of citrus and bitter almond that gain mineral scents with age, and a dry, full, pleasantly fresh taste. The wines tend to be fruity and floral, sometimes with a bitter grapefruit or almond note. The production rules, in their 2021 form, list five types: tranquillo, frizzante, spumante, Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico; grouped more simply, these are four types of white wine, still, frizzante, spumante and Riserva.

• Most producers use only stainless steel in making the wine; tranquillo, Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico kept in wooden vessels may show a hint of wood
• Spumante must stay on its lees for at least 6 months with the Charmat method (closed tanks with agitators) or at least 9 months with bottle fermentation (metodo classico), and its taste may range from brut nature to extra dry
• The Riserva types tend to show a broader nose and a fuller, richer mouthfeel: a long-lived white that keeps its freshness while gaining tertiary aromas

The Consorzio Tutela del Gavi represents all Gavi DOCG producers, not only its members. In 2022 the appellation counted 130 producers, 32% of them certified organic, in a winemaking community made up mainly of small and medium-sized wineries. Tenuta La Meirana overlooks the appellation's largest vineyard by surface area, 65 hectares of Cortese on a single plot, and the Broglia family's first Gavi vintage was 1974, the year the DOC was established. At Villa Sparina, Massimo Moccagatta and his siblings Stefano and Tiziana added a farmstay and a gourmet restaurant to the vineyard in 2004. La Raia is certified biodynamic, one of only two such vineyards in the appellation as of 2023, with 48 hectares of vineyards.

• Broglia (Tenuta La Meirana): 65 hectares of Cortese on a single plot, first Gavi vintage in 1974 and around 800,000 bottles as of 2023
• Gianlorenzo Picollo: 16 hectares straddling Rovereto, Tassarolo and Francavilla; stainless steel vats only and whole-bunch pressing
• Marchese Luca Spinola: Andrea Spinola farms 15 hectares, all Cortese, with his highest vineyards at 330 metres, and obtained organic certification in 2017

Gavi or Cortese di Gavi DOCG is reserved for white wines from Cortese grown in a zone covering all or part of 11 communes in the province of Alessandria; its production rules were most recently amended by ministerial decree of 6 August 2021 (Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 201 of 23 August 2021). Maximum grape yields are 9.5 tonnes per hectare for tranquillo, frizzante and spumante and 6.5 tonnes per hectare for Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico, with a maximum grape-to-wine yield of 70%, or 66.50 hl/ha for the base type and 45.50 hl/ha for the Riserva types. Minimum total alcohol at release is 10.50% vol for tranquillo, frizzante and spumante and 11.00% vol for Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico. Riserva requires one year of ageing, six months of it in bottle, counted from 15 October after the harvest, with release allowed from 1 November of the year after the vintage. Riserva Spumante metodo classico requires two years of ageing from 15 October after the harvest, including eighteen months on the yeasts in bottle. Vinification must take place inside the production zone, and Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico must be bottled there.

• Tranquillo, frizzante and spumante labels may name the commune of origin as "del comune di ...", optionally followed by a frazione listed in the disciplinare's annex, provided the grapes come from that territory; the Riserva types may not carry commune, frazione or locality names
• Only grapes grown in the commune of Gavi itself can use the title "Gavi di Gavi" on the label
• The "vigna" mention is permitted; for tranquillo, frizzante and spumante using it, the maximum grape yield falls to 8.50 tonnes per hectare, and the vintage must appear on tranquillo labels
• Crown caps and plastic screw caps are excluded, and cork stoppers are mandatory for Riserva and Riserva Spumante metodo classico
• Founded in 1993, the Consorzio Tutela del Gavi received ministerial recognition in 2013 for erga omnes activity across the whole Gavi supply chain and carries out market surveillance on Gavi DOCG on behalf of the Ministry; Valoritalia is the authorised control body
• Gavi DOCG is produced on 1,550 hectares

The Gavi lands lie between the Ligurian Sea and the Monferrato, with the sea about 30 km to the south. The Forte di Gavi, an imposing bulwark on the most important route between the plain and the sea, is among the sights for visitors, alongside the archaeological site of Libarna at Serravalle Scrivia and the Parco delle Capanne di Marcarolo. In the 12th century the town of Gavi became a crucial defensive outpost for the Genoese, as its fortress shows. The Consorzio promotes the appellation through the Di Gavi in Gavi Festival and the "Tutto il Gavi a ..." format, which takes the denomination to major Italian cities, and visits and tastings can be arranged at Gavi producers along the route.

• The raviolo di Gavi, the local filled pasta, is traditionally made with beef and pork, eggs, cheese, borage and escarole
• Farinata, focaccia and the amaretti di Gavi, whose patent dates to 1780, complete the local table
• Gavi's white wine is tied to the cuisine of the lords of Genoa, based on fish, lean meats and vegetables

Primary sources (MASAF and the Consorzio Tutela del Gavi): https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Ff%252F6%252FD.b5bdd1dbb38eb7253e5a/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fd%252F5%252FD.fd1629819dea12c20cf4/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/pdf?mode=download, https://www.consorziogavi.com/gavi-docg-2/, https://www.consorziogavi.com/viticoltura/, https://www.consorziogavi.com/consorzio/, https://www.consorziogavi.com/il-gavi-docg-consolida-la-presenza-internazionale/, https://www.consorziogavi.com/produttori/, https://www.consorziogavi.com/wp-content/uploads/timeline-gavi-.pdf, https://www.consorziogavi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/timeline-consorzio.pdf, https://www.consorziogavi.com/destinazione-gavi/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/premium/gavi-the-names-to-know-and-10-wines-to-try-502969/, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/italy/piemonte, https://www.decanter.com/decanter-best/time-to-try-piedmonts-white-wines-442789/. Last verified 2026-10-05