A town that rewards
the curious

Rice cooked slowly in local Gavi DOCG white wine, finished with Parmigiano and a knob of butter. The wine's acidity lifts the dish and gives it a character entirely its own.

Gavi lays a proud (if contested) claim to the invention of ravioli. The local version is filled with meat and vegetables and sauced in the Genoese style — a reminder that Liguria is just over the hill.

Soft, fragrant almond biscuits — the local take on the famous Piedmontese amaretto. Best enjoyed with an espresso at one of the bars in the town square, or paired with a glass of late-harvest Cortese.

Autumn in Gavi means truffles. Taglierini — the thin, egg-rich pasta of this corner of Piedmont — tossed in butter and shaved with local black truffle is as simple and as perfect as Italian food gets.

A rare, ancient cheese made in the valleys nearby — said to have been served at the wedding feast of Ludovico il Moro and Beatrice d'Este in 1489. Stacked in diminishing rounds, it is as striking to look at as it is to eat.

The surrounding hills and Capanne di Marcarolo nature park produce exceptional acacia and wildflower honey. Look for it at the weekly market and from local producers along the country roads.

Piedmont's famous chocolate-amaretto pudding — bonet — appears on almost every local menu. And nearby, the Bodrato chocolate factory produces the Boero: a grappa-soaked Garbagna cherry coated in dark chocolate. Worth the detour.

The chestnut woods around Gavi yield magnificent porcini from late summer through autumn. Served grilled with olive oil and herbs, or stirred through polenta, they are one of the great pleasures of eating here in season.