Photo: F Ceragioli, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Piedmont · Sub-regions
Gavi
Gavi DOCG (also Cortese di Gavi) — Piedmont's most famous white. 100% Cortese, mineral, citrus-driven. The region borders Liguria and benefits from maritime influence.
Grape Varieties
Cortese
Vineyard Area
1.500 ha
TERROIR PROFILE · Piedmont
Gavi Cortese white zone with sea breeze
Gavi: Piedmont's maritime white — Cortese with citrus, salt and Liguria at its back.
SOILS
Marlbalanced, structured
Marl is a mix of limestone and clay — yields structured, balanced wines with acidity backbone.
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
Sandstonewarm, dry, spicy
Sandstone warms quickly and yields ripe, fragrant wines with yellow fruit and fine spice.
CLIMATE · Maritime
Transitional climate between continental Piedmont and Liguria: the Ligurian Sea is not far away, and cooling breezes temper the warm, sunny climate. Cortese ripens mid to late and keeps citrus freshness and acidity.
TOPOGRAPHY · moderate
Last hills of the Ligurian Apennines towards the Po plain, with vineyards between about 180 and 450 metres across eleven communes, including Gavi and Novi Ligure. Slopes are gentle to moderately steep.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Typical Flavours of the Region
Piedmont overview
This sub-region is part of Piedmont. The map shows all 15 sub-regions — Gavi is highlighted.
Overview
Typical Varieties
Terroir & Climate
Wine Character
Gavi lies in south-eastern Piedmont in the province of Alessandria, in the foothills of the Apennines and only a few kilometres from the border with Liguria. The area comprises eleven communes, including Gavi, Tassarolo, Novi Ligure, Bosio and Capriata d'Orba; the vineyards of roughly 1,500 hectares lie on hills in the south of the province. The Gavi DOCG, also called Cortese di Gavi, is Piedmont's best-known white wine appellation.
The climate is mildly influenced by proximity to the Ligurian Sea: sea air moves through the Apennine passes, summers are warm, winters cold, and rain falls mainly in spring and autumn. The soils consist of calcareous marl and clay with sandstone, in some zones iron-bearing and reddish.
The wines are made exclusively from Cortese. They are dry, mineral and citrus-driven, with notes of apple and almond and lively acidity; sparkling and Riserva styles also occur. Well-known estates include La Scolca and Villa Sparina.
Soil Type
Calcareous marl and clay with sandstone, in some zones iron-bearing and reddish.
Climate
Warm summers and cold winters; sea air from Liguria moves through the Apennine passes, and rain falls mainly in spring and autumn.
Top profiles
1 detailed profiles — all filterable in the list below
All Wineries
5 resultsEvents in Piedmont
All events in Piedmont →10 Oct – Sun, 6 December 2026
Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba – Wine Tasting Experience
Tasting · Alba
25 Jan – Tue, 26 January 2027
Grandi Langhe
Trade event · Alba
27 Jan – Sat, 30 January 2027
Nebbiolo Prima
Trade event · Alba
24 Apr – Sun, 2 May 2027
Vinum Alba
Wine fair · Alba
15 May – Sun, 16 May 2027
Nizza è Barbera
Tasting · Nizza Monferrato
29 May – Sun, 30 May 2027
Cantine Aperte Piemonte
Open cellar · Piemont
Frequently Asked Questions
Which grape is Gavi made from?
The wines of the Gavi DOCG, also called Cortese di Gavi, are made exclusively from Cortese. They are dry, mineral and citrus-driven, with notes of apple and almond.
Which communes and estates belong to Gavi?
The area comprises eleven communes, including Gavi, Tassarolo, Novi Ligure, Bosio and Capriata d'Orba, with around 1,500 hectares of vineyards. Known estates are La Scolca and Villa Sparina; further styles exist as Spumante and Riserva.
Where is Gavi and what is the climate?
Gavi lies in south-eastern Piedmont in the province of Alessandria, only a few kilometres from Liguria, and comprises eleven communes. Sea air flows through the Apennine passes; summers are warm and winters cold.
How many wineries are there in Gavi?
Cellarmap lists 5 wineries in Gavi across roughly 1,500 hectares of vines. Every profile shows location, contact, grape varieties and, where available, vineyards, classification and visitor information.
All wineries in Gavi, A to Z
- Azienda Vinicola La Lomellina · Gavi
- Broglia · Gavi
- Fontanassa · gavi
- Il Poggio di Gavi · Gavi
- La Scolca · Gavi
📖 Look up in glossary
All terms →Related wine terms — clearly explained in the Cellarmap glossary.