Varietal: Gargenaga
From: Veneto, Italy
Taste: A refreshing and charismatic everyday Italian white wine that’s shockingly affordable! In the glass, you’ll discover notes of white flowers, white peach and nectarine complimented by a hint of herbal orange zest. These aromas are mirrored on the palate, and finish with a lifted, zesty note of citrus.
Pairing: Seppioline (cuttle-fish) and risotto with black squid ink also pair nicely with all Soave. It’s also ideal for a wide variety of seafood and seasonal greens prepared in a multitude of ways: fried fish and vegetables, as pasta or in risotto, grilled or broiled, baked in parchment, as ceviche (we’re sharing a recipe below that riffs off of this concept) or sushi, as part of tacos or fajitas, or poached.
Citrus Skillet Shrimp With Shallots and Jalapeños
By Yasmin Fahr
About. Soave, dry white wine from the Veneto region of north-east Italy. Like the neighboring Valpolicella zone, the Soave zone was expanded enormously with the creation of the Soave DOC in 1968. At the time, both regions were enjoying an export boom, so production flowed off the small hilly zone onto the alluvial plain of the Adige River.
Just like many other wine regions, once yields ran high and the area of growth expanded, quality decreased dramatically. To combat this, the area has been subdivided into 47 subzones, and within those subzones, specific vineyard sites or crus have been identified. Most of them within the Classico zone, and some noted on the labels.
The Barco Reale DOC gets its name from the grand hunting reserve created by the Medici for their own personal hunting activities. The reserve was surrounded by the Barco Reale wall which enclosed an area of about 4000 hectares; worth noting is that some parts of the wall are still visible today.
True Soave is medium-bodied with fine acidity and a lively flowery aroma of white and yellow fruit, and garden herbs, taking on notes of chamomile and honey with age.
Another potential improvement is that Trebbiano Toscano has been excluded from both DOC and DOCG Soaves. This interloper was introduced to the area in the 1960s, when high yields were the driving force, and it soon displaced the local Trebbiano di Soave (which is, in fact, Verdicchio). Today, Soave must be at least 70% Garganega and up to 30% Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and/or the Sauvignon Blanc that has been used to add interest and body to wines from over-productive vines. When yields are controlled, Garganega can give wines of real class. A late-ripening variety, it has a thick skin that helps protect it against the autumn mists rising from the northern part of the Po Valley.