Soave (wine)

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Soave
Soave
Garganega grapes
Origin: Italy
Notable regions: (see major regions)


Soave (pronounced SWAH-vay) is a dry white wine from the Veneto region in northeast Italy, principally around the city of Verona. It is one of 32 Italian Denominaziones di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). Garganega is the designation’s principal grape variety, and over the centuries it has found an ideal habitat.

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[edit] Regional production

The Soave production zone is situated in the eastern part of the hills in the province of Verona (north of the Serenissima highway, between the 18th and 25th kilometres of the Verona-Venezia road). The zone includes part or all of the lands belonging to the municipalities of Soave, Monteforte d'Alpone, San Martino Buon Albergo, Lavagno, Mezzane, Caldiero, Colognola, Illasi, Cazzano, San Bonifacio, Roncà, Montecchia and San Giovanni Ilarione.

[edit] History

It may be a mysterious coincidence, but the name of a wine has never been so expressive of its oenological personality and deepest identity as that of Soave: elegant,harmonious and supple. Evidence of wine growing in the Soave area dates back to ancient times, and this famous [wine] has accompanied man through the millennia since earliest history. Historians who have tried over the centuries to explain the origins of the name Soave hold various and not always coinciding opinions:the most widely accepted explanation is that the area of Soave took its name from the suevians, a German people who come down into Italy with Alboin, the Longobard king. Many historical documents mention Soave and these wines were certainly greatly appreciated many centuries ago. However their fame especially developed in the early 20th century, when the larger Veronese wineries promoted Soave on all the national and foreign markets, and today this wine has earned the coveted description of "Classico Italian white wine". In the vast, high quality scenario of prestigious Veronese wines, has only been achieved in these hills of tufaceus volcanic land with large limy outcrops. In climatic terms the whole area enjoys a mild, temperate climate: the winters are not severe and the summers are not too hot.

[edit] Soave DOC

It's designed to be drunk a year or two after the vintage. It is a user-friendly white, which offers good value for money: a wine from which one expects neither complexity nor ageing potential but rather a clean fragrance and an appealing freshness and delicacy. It is vinified in stainless steel, a method which allows the wine's attractive floral and fruity notes to express themselves fully.

[edit] Soave Classico DOC

The use of the specification "Classico" with the designation "Soave" is reserved for the product made from grapes harvested and vinified in the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone,i.e. the original and oldest classic "zone". Castles, churches, belltowers and luxurious aristocratic villas emerging from the sea of of vineyards demontrate the rich history and traditions of this area, closely linked to its principals product. Soave Classico DOC is a more ambitious white, whose restricted production zone lies on the hills in the communes of Soave and Monteforte. It often has a slight mineral note on the palate that adds complexity to its floral and fruity character.

[edit] Recioto di Soave Superiore DOCG

The production zone is limited to the hillside sites already noted in the regulations for the production of Recioto di Soave DOCG. there are also new regulations for planting: new vineyards must be trained using Espallier systems with at least 4000 vine per hectare. for those vines planted before 2002, the Espallier system, Pergola Incliante and Pergoletta Veronese are allowed. Soave DOCG may be released on to the market only after 1st September of the year following the harvest and after bottle ageing of at least three month so as to emphatsise characteristic of maturity and complexity. wines aged a minimum of two years may be labelled as "Riserva".

[edit] Brands

Notable producers of Soave include, but are not limited to:

[edit] External links