This week’s show is about one of the most famous white wines in Italy, the region's/wine's 1000 year history, and its recent comeback in quality and stature. The region? Soave (SWAH-vay) in Veneto, Italy.

Map: Consorzio Tutela Vini Soave

Located just east of the famed city of Verona (Romeo and Juliet, anyone?), in the foothills of the Lessini Mountains, Soave is a tiny region that packs a punch in reputation and in flavor. Made from one of the oldest known grapes in Italy, the Garganega grape, Soave’s cheek coating, almond-flavored, floral, and sometimes waterfall-like notes creates a food friendly, crowd pleasing wine.  Although often maligned by the wine trade, who is woefully behind on this trend, Soave is one for us, normal wine lovers. Surely there is garbage to be had when the grapes are grown on the flats of the region, but on the ancient, steep, volcanic hillsides, worked meticulously by hand, the grapes farmed for these wines create outstanding examples of Italian white at its best. If you haven’t had it, go and get an example from the producers we recommend (Gini, Inama, Pra, Pieropan, Suavia – you won’t be sorry!)

Here are the show notes...

Soave is located east of Verona, at 45.45° N latitude It is a small region, with just 6,500 hectares (16,062 acres) planted, but those plantings give a lot of bang for the buck – recent figures show the region makes about 4.4 MM cases  

Location, climate, land:

The DOC is on a border between flat plains of the Po River Valley in the south and Alpine foothills in the north. Its main towns – Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone lie on the flats – but between them and north there is a large volcanic outcropping that rises up in steep slopes Climate: Because of its proximity to the river, the region is influenced by the mists of the Po Valleyduring harvest, which can produce conditions for mold and disease. The tough Garganega grape can resist disease, but it is still a threat to the vineyards. It can be hot on valley floors in the summer and quite cold in the spring and fall, so slopes are preferred for viticulture. Land: Soave is a series of hills and valleys formed by volcanic activity and the recession of a small sea, along with plate movement. Soils are a mixture but in general: WEST and CENTER AREAs: Calcareous, limestone soils Central-Eastern Areas: Volcanic/basalt based soils  

Soave's rolling hills. Photo: Consorzio Tutela Vini Soave

Grape varieties: 

Garganega is one of oldest white grapes in Italy and represents 88% of plantings. It has grown in the hills of Soave for at least 1,000 years and is one of Italy’s oldest varieties. Garganega can crop to high yields, with large bunches so when growers preferred quantity over quality in the 1960s and 1970s, the vine produced. But like all grapes, when overcropped and grown on fertile valleys, Gargenega has no flavor! Characteristics of Garganega: Flavors change based on soil type and winemaking. They range from steely, waterfall-like to peachy with white flowers, citrusy, and like apples. Good Garganega has acidity but a cheek-coating quality and a slightly bitter-almond finish. They are sometimes aged on the lees but not often oak aged, as it kills the freshness/acidity in the wine. The better Soaves are mostly 100% Garganega, but by law, the wine must have 70% Garganega with up to 30% of Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio, not crappy Trebbiano)) or, Chardonnay (traditionalists don’t approve) with other non-aromatic, local grapes permitted in up to 5% of the blend. The Garganega Grape.. Photo from Consorzio Tutela Vini Soave

 

Trebbiano di Soave. An exception to some of the low quality Trebbiani, this is the same grape Verdicchio (often from Le Marche). It’s a low yielding variety, ripens earlier than Garganega, and it’s acidic, floral, and light. It used to be in more frequent use but its sensitivity to mold and rot, it has slowly been replaced by the more vigorous Garganega

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Erscheinungs­datum: 29.11.2022, 23:33:03