Goodbye Grigio, Hello Gavi

Never heard of Gavi? Me neither, 'til someone recommended it for those times when you just need a break from your regular Pinot Grigio.
Gavi wine is a light-bodied, desert-dry, very crisp white wine from Northern Italy's Piedmont region. It is the first Italian white to gain international recognition, and is still considered the white jewel of the Piedmont region's crown.


It is made exclusively from the Cortese grape and is generally pale, straw-colored with a mild fragrance. It's unassuming, yet fruity and well-balanced. You'll find the bouquet includes lemons, green apples and honeydew. It finishes with a nice underlying hint of almonds. It is probably one of the best wines you will ever pair with seafood. It is also tasty with antipasti! Serve chilled.


It is meant to be drunk young, so don't go looking for a Gavi from 1997. It's best after one year, but undrinkable after four.


Gavi wine is Italy's most expensive white wine shipped to U.S. markets, and can be found at good wine shops, at prices ranging from $12 to $45. Any fine Italian restaurant will carry it as well, but expect unreasonably high markups.

Pinot Grigio - Bohemian Highway

Understand this, I am not a fan of the Pinot Grigio wine.  Typically I find them to be rather bland and uninspiring - cheap or expensive - I have yet to find the Pinot Grigio that goes well alone or with anything I happen to be eating.

But, since I enjoyed the Chardonnay from Bohemian Highway so much, I thought I'd give their other white wine a shot.  After all, it only required a $5.99 investment and their winemaker's notes were appealing:  it's "pleasing" and "fruit-forward" with honeydew, apricot and pear flavors.  And let's not forget the crisp grapefruit and light floral aromas to round out the refreshing finish.  Trust me, I wanted to like this wine, I wanted to enjoy it on this late summer afternoon.

Well, I'm no winemaker, but here are my notes on this very disappointing 2007 Pinot Grigio.  Beautiful pale, colorless wine pours well into a glass.  That's where my compliments stop.  There is barely an aroma to take in, but the fragrance that hit me first was pure-grain alcohol, followed by a light slap of turpentine.  Whew...  made my eyes water.  But, I trudged on, determined to get a true sense of this new wine.

One sip later, still not impressed.  The taste was as colorless as the wine itself.  I took another sip, swirled it over and around all my tastebuds, hoping to catch some redeeming sensory experience.  Inhaled deeply, trying to will grapefruit and honeydew aromas into my nostrils.  No.  Didn't happen.  So in desperation I turned to my husband.  (That probably sounds worse than I wanted it to sound - but you know what I mean...)  "Try this" I said lightly, an encouraging smile upon my face.  "Tell me what you think."

"Igh.  Smells like alcohol."  One sip later the glass was returned to my hand, no further commentary was required. 

My recommendation - save your $5.99 for the Bohemian Highway Chardonnay.  Leave the Pinot Grigio on the shelf.