Source: Dallas Morning News
February 13, 2013
By Rebecca Murphy
Bava, Piemonte DOC, Thou Bianc, Chardonnay 2011
Italy is not the first place we think of for chardonnay, but the grapes grow very well in the Piedmont region of the northwest. Until the 1970s, growers thought it was pinot blanc, a clonal variation of pinot noir. The discovery that it was chardonnay helped some of the wineries in the area tap in to what has become a worldwide chardonnay craze.
Bava’s chardonnay is called Thou Bianc, in honor of the soil where the grapes are grown. It is an unoaked, lean, crisp, citrusy chardonnay with chalky mineral notes, well-balanced and easy to drink. Serve it with pasta in a creamy sauce or grilled shellfish.
Bava is a family owned winery established in 1911. Today the third and fourth generations are involved in the operation. Roberto Bava is energetic, enthusiastic and charming and he travels the world conducting inventive concept dinners. He’s worked with architects and chefs, with the chef turning architects’ drawings into a dinner course accompanied by a Bava wine. Other times, he matches music to the wine and food being served. He has been known to pour a bottle of moscato into an ice cream machine to make a sorbet for a hot day. He’s a man who takes his wines seriously, but not too seriously.
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