That Fabulous World of Cellars, Art and Green Hills: A Weekend in Gavi

On the sign indicating the road we must take, it says Gavi Ligure. It is not a mistake, even though we are in Lower Piedmont, but a place name that encapsulates the distinctiveness of this territory on the border between Liguria and Piedmont. Gavi is famous for its white wine, the Cortese di Gavi docg, grown on the surrounding hills that characterise a clearly Monferrato landscape. But in its architecture and its dialect the Ligurian imprint is equally evident, left on this town by a full six centuries of belonging to the Genoese territory. Crossed by the Lemme stream, Gavi surprises with its bright colours, very Ligurian, and charms with its flowered terraces, with its walls frescoed in pastel shades that stand out against the dark green of the hills embracing the town.

We settle into our elegant rooms at the B&B Casa Meli, an old residence in the very central Via Mameli, and set off on foot to discover the town. We begin our walk along a little road that skirts the historic centre and admire the old houses overlooking the hills and the vineyards. Here the rural atmospheres mix with history and art, present on every corner. As a first surprise, we come across a charming little turret through whose arches a breathtaking view of the surrounding vegetation opens up: this is the Portino, a thirteenth-century construction, the only survivor of the four entrance gates to the village that were once integral parts of a system of walls descending from the Fort and encircling the whole town of Gavi. The Fort is the most imposing monument of Gavi: a military fortress of remarkable size that towers over the town.

Clearly visible from every little street, it reminds the people of Gavi of their history, also studded with numerous battles in which the town had to defend itself from the enemy. It is no wonder that such a peculiar construction is also capable of firing the imagination of the inhabitants, giving rise to legends. If every self-respecting castle boasts the presence of at least one ghost, a fortress certainly cannot settle for anything less than an entire army of ghosts: and that is exactly what is said to be happening in Gavi. Some swear that in recent times they have seen an army of fierce Roman militias marching towards the Fort, while hymns to the god Mars were heard being sung at the top of their voices by the soldiers.

Today Gavi is a destination for food-and-wine tourism and is chosen by travellers who love hilly landscapes and good wine; centuries ago it was instead a stop for pilgrims travelling towards the sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela. We discover, in fact, that the beautiful Church of San Giacomo Maggiore, whose facade in the purest Romanesque style we have just admired, was built on the remains of a hospice for pilgrims. Our very pleasant "pilgrimage" continues at the table, at the Ristorante Cantine del Gavi, on Via Mameli, a stone's throw from our B&B. The restaurant is located in a splendid late-seventeenth-century villa, with frescoes that leave you breathless.

"Here there was once a stable, carriages came in and out; in fact, the entrance at the time was on the other side, where today there is a lovely little courtyard," explains Roberta, who today runs the restaurant founded by her father Alberto Rocchi, together with her sister Elisa, as well as Luca and Micaela in the dining room and Miriam in the kitchen. Luca, a wine expert, looks after the cellar — and what a cellar! A real spectacle; in fact, themed dinners and musical evenings are organised there, and there are even wines from the 1940s to taste. We begin our dinner with a rich Piedmontese appetiser that includes steak tartare, a particularly exquisite vitello tonnato, the hen salad with spring vegetables and herb mayonnaise and the rabbit tonnato with herbs, all accompanied by a very good lively Gavi wine.

We continue with Piedmontese taglierini with aged goat's cheese and artichokes, the pappardelle with rocket and basil pesto, a fantastic Gavi risotto and the very typical ravioli al tocco. All the raw materials, from the cheeses to the Fassone beef, are of excellent quality and come from local producers. Among the main courses we taste a phenomenal grilled Fassone with béarnaise sauce, the lamb ribs with an herb and hazelnut crust, the salt cod fillet with Merella chickpeas and the roast rabbit stuffed with artichokes with potato cream. We accompany these delicacies with excellent Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Barbera, finally giving in to the sweet temptations of the desserts prepared by Elisa: a fantastic custard ice cream, made to order with the house preserves, the Gavi zabaione, the chocolate cake and the citrus millefeuille with chocolate mousse.

The next time we come back here, we hope to be able to take part in a striking evening of taste and music in the ancient cellar.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Cantine del Gavi Via Mameli, 69 Gavi (AL) Tel.: 0143/642458 Bed & Breakfast Casa Meli Tel.: 347/3117693