The Gavi DOCG production zone is situated in the province of Alessandria, in southern Piedmont, not far from the Liguria region. There are eleven communes in this zone, most notably, for which the wine is named. Gavi is produced entirely from the Cortese grape; the word means courteous and certainly this is a friendly agreeable dry white wine.

The typical style is steel aged that results in a pleasant white that has pear and melon notes; a few producers do age their Gavi in oak barrels to give the wine added texture. This is a warm area, but being so close to Liguria and the sea, temperatures are never too hot, and nighttime temperatures are cool, resulting in an ideal balance for the vines.

While the dry version is the most representative, there are also sparkling and passito offerings made. Once quite popular in the US in the 1980s, Gavi has lost a great deal of market share, due to the popularity of Pinot Grigio as well as another Piemontese white, Arneis. While there are inexpensive versions on retail shelves that do nothing to bring attention to Gavi, there are examples from artisan producers that are quite distinctive and can stand up to lighter game as well as rich seafood; these examples can also age for up to a decade. (Wine/Appellations)