Cortese: from Gavi to the whites of Alto Monferrato

The Cortese belongs to the Piedmontese wine tradition. Its cultivation affects different areas of Astigiano and Alexandria; Gavi offers a particularly close relationship between varieties and wine. For the Gavi DOCG, in fact, the disciplinary previews the Cortese in purity.

Start from Gavi, then continue towards Tassarolo. The villages and hills introduce the geography of wine before visiting the farm. Enlarged travel to Ovada, the Cortese enters a territory where red and other traditions meet.

The Cortese grapes are clear, with shades ranging from green-yellow to gilded in the parts exposed to the sun. The clusters are medium-large and rather scatter them. The vine shows vigour and productivity that requires attention in agricultural work.

In a meeting with the producer, ask how the vineyard is managed helps to switch from the image of the rows to the construction of wine. The choice of the collection and balance of the plant are concrete arguments: they allow to listen to the story of a season through the work that accompanied it.

The Cortese can give steady whites and sparkling interpretations. The Gavi DOCG expresses its link with a precise area; in other areas the variety meets different production contexts. The name of the grape remains common, while denomination and style help to orientate between the bottles.

Continue in lands of Gavi or cross theAcquese up to Acqui Terme. To meet another white grape in the hills, explore Moscato bianco: its aromatic character opens a different chapter of the Piedmontese journey.

A Gavi, the Fort is the first reference to be recognized in the country's profile. The fortification introduces the strategic history of these lands; the streets of the village allow then to approach the architectures and the daily dimension of the inhabited area. The visit can hold these two views together before continuing among the vineyards. The Cortese find here a precise geography in Gavi DOCG, whose area is entirely or partly affected by eleven municipalities in the province of Alessandria. The name of the wine then refers to a wider territory of the only village.

The stages of Tassarolo, Novi Ligure and Parodi Ligure allow to widen this map. Towards Bosio and Carrosio, the landscapes of the valleys introduce another perspective on the Alexandrian. A Serravalle Scrivia, the archaeological area of Libarna adds an ancient chapter to the journey. These stops are opportunities to observe how history, ways of communication and agriculture occupy the same space: the visit of the territory gives white a provenance made of recognizable places.

The thread of the Cortese continues towards Ovada, to the confluence of Stura in Orba, and towards Acqui Terme, along the Bormida. The Courtesy of the High Monferrato offers a reference with which to open this second part of the route. Among the valley bottom centers and the villages in height changes the point of observation; in the cellar, the origin of the grapes allows to find the hills just crossed. Following the same vine in different denominations makes the journey more articulated: each label adds a productive geography and every meeting tells the work of the individual company. The stop in the old town and the return to the rows offer two times of the day, useful to know people and places.