Getting to grips with Italian white wine is something I’ve always found particularly difficult. Partly due to the availability of the wines locally, partly due to their lack of distinguishing features in a global market and partly due to how many choices there are! Italy has long been known as the country with the broadest diversity of grape varieties in commercial production, which is as true for white wines as for red. Whilst there were always individual white wines I enjoyed from around the country, I never really fully understood a complete zone of production or style of wine, something I found a lot easier with the reds. So, I thought I’d address that! Over the last few months I’ve been trying to drink more and more Italian white wine at home, focusing on certain zones, regions and grape varieties. Whilst I’m hoping to make future posts on more regions, I’ve found myself particularly taken with a dry, white wine from the Veneto in north-east Italy; Soave.

Now, I’d tried quite a bit of Soave before and always found it to be relatively boring, with the exception of the wines I’d been fortunate to try from Pieropan (more on this producer later). Yet everytime I read an article about Soave, it was typically extolling its virtues, so this time I mainly selected wines that had been recommended by various members of the wine industry I respect, as well as a couple of suggestions cleaned from a conversation on Twitter! The results, as you might expect, are much better. I’m going to post tasting notes from the three best I tried at the end of this short article, but first I’d like to explain a bit about Soave.

Soave first became a demarcated region in 1927, with most of the vineyards planting on slopes with either volcanic or limestone based soils, with good exposure to the sunshine. The grape variety of choice here is Garganega, a thick-skinned, relatively late ripening grape that really shines providing yields are kept relatively low, and must constitute at least 70% of a blend. The rest of the blend, up to a maximum of 30%, is typically Trebbiano di Soave, more famously known as Verdicchio in the Marche, Depending on the appellation, you may also be able to blend in Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or even Sauvignon Blanc. I haven’t tasted enough Soave to formulate an opinion on whether I prefer it as a varietal Garganega wine, as some of my favourites have a reasonable proportion of Trebbiano di Soave blended into the mix.

All well and good so far, no? Unfortunately, Soave followed the path of many popular Italian wine regions in the 1960’s and 70’s, enlarging the zone of production in order to satisfy global demand. This expanded zone crept off the hills and mainly covers flat land with more fertile soils. Less sun exposure, higher yields and a generally bland end product follow, quite predictably. Much like Chianti and Valpolicella, this had the dual effect of irritating high quality producers whose reputation was unfairly associated with these inferior wines, whilst the global reputation of the region plummeted. Top quality producers started to withdraw their wines from the official appellations, designating them under the broader IGT regulations instead. Today there are, confusingly, 4 appellations within Soave.

Soave Classico DOC – The original zone of production, mainly covering vineyards planted on slopes and hillsides. The source of many high quality Soave wines.

Soave DOC – Covers the whole region of Soave, including the flatter, higher yielding vineyards. Overall quality has largely improved since bland varieties like Trebbiano di Toscana were banned (Ugni Blanc).

Soave Colli Scaligeri DOC – Covers the slopes and hillsides in the region not included within the Soave Classico DOC. I’ve yet to see this appear on a bottle.

Soave Superiore DOCG – Introduced in 2002 and theoretically the highest classification of Soave, this became something of a botched compromise due to the politics of dominant producers, namely Cantina di Soave who produce 48% of every bottle of wine in the region. This led to more quality producers, such as Anselmi, opting for IGT Veneto by way of protest. As many producers within the Classico region fall within the parameters for Soave Superiore DOCG, it’s ultimately a choice of which to use for the producer.

The result is, that as a consumer, it’s incredibly hard to know what on earth to look for. I’d argue that Soave Classico DOC is probably the safest best, as Soave Superiore DOCG seems to be more concerned with minimum levels of alcohol and wine-making than it does location and overall quality. Needless to say, many producers are also critical of this quality pyramid. Whilst quality has invariably improved since the 90’s, Soave is likely still a wine that will need to be hand-sold in order to expose consumers to the better producers, some of which I’m going to share with you now. I still have a lot of Soave to try myself and with some cold cuts, cheeses, bread and pesto, I’m not sure if there’s another wine I’d rather have in my glass.

Producers to look out for: Pieropan, Gini, Pra, Inami, Anselmi, Tamellini

Pieropan Calvarino 2015
70% Garganega and 30% Trebbiano di Soave from the Calvarino Vineyard in the Soave Classico zone; volcanic soils, 300m above sea level, 30-60 year old vines. Fermented and aged in cement tanks, with a full year spent on the lees. 12.5% ABV

Before we go into the tasting note, a quick word on Pieropan, probably the most iconic producer of the region. Pieropan have been making wine since the late 19th century and were probably the first producer to really understand Garganega and its quality potential. They were the first to bottle single-vineyard expressions of Soave, a trend which has caught on amongst the better producers. This has led to the regulatory body of Soave DOC producing a map, isolating 47 of the better vineyards or ‘crus’ to better understand the region. The impact of Pieropan cannot be underestimated and the loss of Leonildo Pieropan, the first pioneer of the region, was felt earlier this year.

An unremarkable straw colour in the glass and gently aromatic, with notes of lemon-curf, ripe peach, melon, honeysuckle, almonds and a subtle toastiness to the nose from the extended lees ageing. Dry and fresh, with the same lovely stone fruit, toast and almond flavour on the palate. Not a loud wine by any means but impeccably balanced and still quite young; I suspect this could become richer with a few years more under its belt. 90Pts

Tamellini Soave Classico ‘Le Bine de Costiola’ 2015
100% Garganega from the ‘Le Bine de Costiola’ vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel and left to rest on its lees for 6 months. 12.5% ABV

At 3 years of age, the wine has a deep, lemon colour and a lovely, delicate aroma. Lemon zest, white flowers, golden apples, peach and a touch of chestnut rolls out of the glass – this is what Soave should be about! Dry and refreshing, with creamy acidity and a surprising amount of weight for such a light wine. The finish is surprisingly long, with the flavour of bitter almonds lasting until the end. An excellent introduction to Soave Classico. 91Pts.

Gini Soave Classico Superiore Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne 2014
100% Garganega from Gini’s oldest vineyards, volanic and limestone soils, all over 100 years old and around 1/3 pre-phylloxeric. Fermented in large oak casks and barrels, before 12 months further ageing in smaller barrels; always old wood. 13.5% ABV

Just looking at it, you can see this is a different beast entirely. A lovely golden colour, with aromas practically leaping out of the glass. Ripe orange fruit, apricot, and pear are layered over notes of honey, subtle vanilla, sweet tarragon and something ever-so-slightly floral. Creamy and mouth-coating on the palate, yet so alive and vibrant. Great tension between the fruit-sweetness and the intense acidity, with a long, lingering finish and a sense of clean, chalky minerality. Brilliant if completely atypical Soave! 94Pts