Gavi wines are perfect for summer sipping

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Light, bright and fresh aromas of flowers, citrus and a subtle peach note. It has flavors of citrus fruits, especially lime and lime zest, Granny Smith apple with a creamy note of marzipan on the lengthy finish.

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Meanwhile, back at the wine stand, customers never cease to amaze me. As I’ve made clear on numerous occasions in this space, I adore dry (and nearly dry) rieslings and I feel strongly that other folks would too, if they’d only give them a chance.

So, of course, I have a dry riesling from Washington (Kung Fu Girl Riesling made by maniac winemaker Charles Smith) at the stand. It is fairly well-received, that is if I can get it in people’s glasses. I give out samples of everything I pour, but some people outright refuse to taste a riesling. So it goes.

My big surprise this summer has been my addition of a white wine from Italy’s northwestern region of Piemonte. It is made from the cortese grape near the town of Gavi. The name of the wine is (and it is a mouthful) Castello di Tassarolo dei Marchesi “Spinola Vineyard” Gavi, Tassarolo, Italy.

At the big Fourth of July celebration, I sold 20 glasses of the somewhat obscure Gavi, beating out Kung Fu Girl by a 4-1 margin.

Wines have been produced in Tassarolo, which is about 40 miles north of Genoa, since at least 250 A.D. One of Italy’s most powerful families from the time of the Renaissance, the Spinolas, have owned Castello di Tassarolo and made wine there since the 1300s.

But who cares about history? What have they done for us lately? Well, not much really. The wines made today probably don’t taste significantly different than those from the mid-1800s when the cortese vines found a home in the craggy hills and valleys around Gavi. Gavi wines are 100 percent cortese.

What gives Gavi wines their staying power? It has everything to do with why I chose it for my poolside wine stand. In the absence of air conditioning, you need something to cool you from the inside during the summer. Gavi wines, especially the Tassarolo version, offer bright, citrusy acidity with humidity-crushing flavors of tangerine, lime and lemons. With the Tassarolo specifically, I’m reminded of a Sonic limeade, but without the cloying sweetness. It also has a subtle creamy, toasted almond aftertaste.

Gavis aren’t your friend only because they are crisp and refreshing, they also tend to be low in alcohol (generally in the 12 percent range) and, like many Italian wines, were made to be enjoyed with food. So, while you’re at the poolside café watching Junior and Missy splash around, you couldn’t ask for a better companion for your chicken salad sandwich with a side of fresh fruit.

Unfortunately, unless that poolside lunch spot is at a resort on the Italian Riviera, you’re probably not going to find a Gavi on your menu. Of course, if you want to create your own Italian Riviera, most wine shops will have a Gavi or two on their shelves. If a dry riesling is still a bit of a stretch for you, ask your wine shop guy or gal for a bottle of Gavi this summer.