Notes From the Road: Never Let a Good Problem Go to Waste
I caught Giovanni Rava in his workshop, just off the courtyard, which serves both the winery and garden entry to his home, La Casaccia. He showed me what he was working on - a new tiller for his recently purchased sailboat.
For a tinkerer like Giovanni, he never let’s a problem get in the way of making an improvement. Why settle for what we’re given, when we can make something that is tailor made for us?
In fact, the whole grand house is a living, breathing manifestation of Giovanni’s constant tinkering, layered with changes to suit the evolving needs of the family and the winemaking work. When he and Elena moved in about 30 years ago — the house had been in Elena’s family for generations — they had their work cut out. It had fallen into disrepair, with rooms blocked off and in need of updating. Yet it remains full of character; the wear of the stone steps, the additions and changes apparent from the different materials, and an ancient cistern cut from the stone repurposed for storing wine instead of water.
Like the house, there is no challenge that doesn’t intrigue him. Take the fact that Piedmont is not known for white wines. So a new vineyard of Sauvignon Blanc was planted. Wary of the potential for under-ripeness, they harvest the grapes late. Looking for texture, he experimented with barrels, landing on neutral acacia barrels.
It’s a wine, like his others, tailor made, from the hard won experience of experimentation.
La Casaccia
‘Sauvage’ Sauvignon 2022
As the name implies, this leans into the wild side of things. The nose is round and autumnal, with a perfume of quince, bergamont, and marmalade. Then the palate follows with yellow fruits, hazelnuts, sage and a touch of fennel. This is the sort of wine that demands food - if you’re bringing this out for an aperitif, make sure you set out something to eat as well. Rich on the palate, without being heavy, and it’s balanced by a clean, crisp finish.
La Casaccia
‘Giuanin’ Barbera 2022
Of course, Giovanni's tinkering doesn't stop at white wine — he's got a full lineup of Barbera too. Giuanin is the local Piedmont dialect for Giovani, and this is Giovanni’s wine through and through. He pours it with a smile and a laugh.
Why do you like Barbera? I asked him.
“It’s easy! It grows easy, with big clusters, and it makes good wine.”
Fermented in stainless steel tanks, to keep it lively and fresh, this is the kind of wine that makes friends easily with everything you put on the table. I love the pure, concentrated grapey-ness of this wine, the uber-refreshing acidity, and the sneaky complexity too. Giovanni insists this isn't a wine to just sit around quaffing, preferring it instead with Elena's cooking, like her family recipe for Salade Rus, or risotto, as we did.