Principessa Gavi
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a fair young princess named Gavia, daughter of Clodimir, king of the Franks and son of Clovis I. As young maidens are wont to do, she fell in love with a handsome young man who served as a guard in her father's court. The couple sought the king's permission to marry, but he refused to have his daughter wed out of her class. He forbade them to see each other. Desperately in love, the young couple eloped, fleeing to a distant part of the kingdom and settling in a sleepy village on the other side of the alps.
For a long time, they eluded the king's troops who scoured the land in search of the newlyweds. Alas, one night after enjoying a generous amount of a charming local white wine, the groom became loose-lipped and confided their story to the local innkeeper. The innkeeper nodded and feigned sympathy, but after sending the groom off to bed he sent word to the king and collected a handsome reward. Troops gathered up the couple and brought them back to the king to face their punishment. By this time word of the romance had spread throughout the kingdom, and there were intercessions on Gavia's behalf by Alamasunta, Queen of the Goths, as well as Pope St. Hermistas. The King, of course, upon looking into his lovely daughter's eyes, could not help but forgive her. He blessed their union, and as a wedding gift he bequeathed them the town which they had chosen to settle in. In her honor he gave the name Gavi to the town as well as the charming white wine that was responsible for her husband's indiscretion. It is said today that the romance lives on in each glass of Principessa Gavia Gavi.
PRINCIPESSA GAVIAGavi D.O.C.G.
Considered the premier dry white wine of Italy, Principessa Gavi compares favorably with the world's noble wines. Superlative with a distinct personality, Principessa is fruity, fresh and crisp with a gentle acidity and balanced finish.An ideal accompaniment with all shellfish, it also marries well with fish, veal and grilled chicken, as well as with the delicate flavor variations of Japanese cuisine.
Gavi Wine Information
Gavi comes from the Piedmont area of Italy, and is made primarily with the Cortese grape. The two wines coming out of this region are Gavi and Cortese di Gavi. This is Italy's most expensive white wine shipped to the US. Gavi, for Italians, is the standard "Bianco" (white). Gavi tends to have a straw color and a neutral, mild aroma. It is very acidic. Its unassuming flavor is usually fruity, persistent, dry and balanced. Gavi goes very well with fish.
Gavi is best drunk young - it peaks after a year, and it is only drinkable for another 2-3 years after that. Gavi should be drunk at 48F.
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I was down at Simply Wine in Ferndale and the owner recommended this bottle to me, I had no idea what it was but he said just drink it and let me know what you think. The bottle was about $13 and let me tell ya, it rocked, its very fruity, dry and crisp. Its not as bold as a Sauvignaun Blanc from New Zealand but it has its own characteristics that makes it so good. I just found the website with all the history and some other sites that talked about the style and grape. I am still learning about Italian wine, there are so many grape varieties out there that it will be like going back to school. I was at an Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor where I had a red wine flight which was ok but not spectacular. Some of them are good but too many taste the same which is quite boring. I will continue experimenting and discover those super tuscans that people seem to rave about.
http://www.vinibanfi.com/gavia.html
http://www.simply-wine.net/
Posted by mardenhill 7/14/2005 09:08:00 AM
