Off The Beaten Track Italy

There are parts of Italy that seem designed to make you slow down. Gavi, in the south-eastern corner of Piedmont, is one of them.

Surrounded by vineyards, woodland and gently rolling hills, Gavi feels a world away from the busy streets of Italy’s better-known destinations. You won’t find coachloads of visitors or long queues for attractions here. Instead, there are quiet country roads, family-run restaurants, small vineyards and the simple pleasure of sitting outside with a glass of local wine.

For travellers looking for a more sustainable and unhurried way to discover Italy, this is exactly the point.

A Different Side of Piedmont

Gavi sits close to Monferrato, between Piedmont and Liguria, in an interesting borderland where northern Italian and Ligurian influences meet. The Gavi wine region stretches across 11 municipalities in the province of Alessandria, through a landscape of vineyards, valleys and wooded hills. The Ligurian coast is only around 30 kilometres away, and even the local climate is influenced by maritime winds arriving from the south.

At the centre of it all is the small town of Gavi itself.

It is the sort of place worth exploring without an itinerary. Wander through the old streets, stop for a coffee, browse the local shops and look upwards towards the imposing Forte di Gavi, which dominates the hillside above the town.

But the real attraction is the surrounding countryside.

The Wine That Gave Gavi Its Name

For anyone who enjoys Italian wine, Gavi is probably already familiar.

Gavi DOCG, also known as Cortese di Gavi, is made from the Cortese grape. Typically dry, fresh and elegant, it can have notes of citrus, white flowers, fruit and almond. The wine’s character is closely linked to the hills, soils and unusual position between the Ligurian Sea and the Apennines.

Rather than simply ordering a bottle with dinner, take the time to visit one of the local producers. Many vineyards in the Gavi area offer cellar visits and tastings, giving you the opportunity to meet the people behind the wine and understand the landscape in which it is produced.

This is wine tourism at its best: small-scale, personal and connected to the place.

Staying at Agriturismo Nonna Du

One of the highlights of our visit was staying at Agriturismo Nonna Du, just outside Gavi.

This family-run agriturismo is surrounded by vineyards, hazelnut groves and countryside and has just a small number of rooms, along with a garden, swimming pool and restaurant. It is run by Ilaria and Giacomo, who describe their approach as one centred around nature, local food and sharing their part of Piedmont with their guests.

It is exactly the kind of accommodation we look for at Off the Beaten Track Italy: locally owned, rooted in its surroundings and small enough to retain a genuine sense of place.

And make sure you eat here.

We had a great meal at the agriturismo’s restaurant, where the emphasis is firmly on local flavours. The kitchen uses kilometre-zero ingredients and traditional recipes, accompanied by a wine list featuring Gavi DOCG and other wines from Piedmont.

You can find out more or book directly through the Agriturismo Nonna Du website.

Why Gavi Is Worth Slowing Down For

Gavi doesn’t demand that you race from one sight to another.

Spend a morning visiting a vineyard. Have a long lunch. Walk through the countryside. Explore the town in the late afternoon and finish the day over dinner and a bottle of Cortese.

The local tourism organisation itself encourages walking, cycling, trekking, nature and visits to wineries as ways to discover the area — exactly the kind of low-impact experiences that allow visitors to stay longer and engage more closely with a destination.

Gavi is not about ticking off another famous Italian destination. It is about discovering the Italy that exists between them.

And for us, that is what travelling off the beaten track is all about.