Piedmont’s fame rests on Barolo and Barbaresco, but the region also, and somewhat secretly, happens to be one of Italy’s most interesting places for white wine. Indigenous grapes like Nascetta, Timorasso, and Erbaluce have re-entered... Read More

Piedmont’s fame rests on Barolo and Barbaresco, but the region also, and somewhat secretly, happens to be one of Italy’s most interesting places for white wine. Indigenous grapes like Nascetta, Timorasso, and Erbaluce have re-entered the conversation, and at the center of it all sits Cortese—the variety that built Gavi’s reputation for brightness, finesse, and a salty, Mediterranean ease at the table.

Gavi (the place) lies in Piedmont’s southeast, looking toward Liguria, where seafood (and pesto!) are supreme. The hills are limestone and marl; breezes funnel in from the coast; the local style is to lean on steel and time on lees rather than oak. The idea is freshness and clarity: a white that’s light on its feet but not slight, with a gentle almond twang and a mineral finish that keeps you reaching back for the glass.

Enter Stefano Massone, a producer who has made Gavi his life’s work. No side projects, no fashion—just Cortese from the hills he knows best. That singular focus shows in the consistency: year after year, the wines taste like Gavi should taste, without makeup or shortcuts, and at prices that keep them on our short list for every-day drinking.