Soave (wine)
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Soave ( , ) is a dry white Italian wine from the Veneto region in northeast Italy, principally around the city of Verona. Within the Soave region are both a '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) zone and since 2001 a '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) designation known as ''Soave Superiore'', with both zones being further sub-divided into a general and ''Classico'' designation for the wines produced in the heartland of the Soave region around the sloping vineyards of Verona. Throughout the Soave production zone Garganega is the principal grape variety, though
Trebbiano di Soave Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ...
and
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
are permitted in varying percentages. While most Soave is dry, still wine within the DOC zone a sparkling ''spumante'' style is permitted as is the
passito Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...
''Recioto'' style, that in 1998 was granted its own
DOCG The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
designation for grapes grown in the hilly region.


History

Soave saw a peak of popularity in United States during the mid-20th-century Italian wine boom that followed the end of World War II. Driven by the marketing efforts of large producers like
Bolla The kulshedra or kuçedra is a water, storm, fire and chthonic demon in Albanian mythology and folklore, usually described as a huge multi-headed female serpentine dragon. The kulshedra is believed to spit fire, cause drought, storms, flooding, ...
, Soave even surpassed Chianti in the 1970s as the largest-selling Italian DOC wine in the US. By the end of the 20th century, Soave's share of US sales were eventually eclipsed by Pinot grigio and an influx of new wines from southern Italy.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 119-126 Hungry Minds 2001 The Soave DOC was created in 1968 with those boundaries revised and expanded periodically over the next few decades. As a point of introduction, it should be said that Soave and Chianti were the first zones in Italy (in 1931) to be recognized by Royal Decree as having the potential for producing fine wines. This document delimited the borders of the production zones which, in the case of Soave, coincide with those fixed under the current production regulations for Soave Classico. Situated in the eastern part of the Province of Vicenza, in the foothills of the Lessini Mountains, the Soave zone is a not particularly large wine region which, however, produces very significant quantities of wine, in virtue of the fact that the area under vine is one of the most specialized and densely planted in Europe. In this area, there exists a traditional and indissoluble link between viticulture and terroir; the area of specialized vineyards has remained practically unchanged compared to 100 years ago and indeed there does not seem to be any valid reason why it should increase. In 2001, a separate Soave Superiore DOCG was created for the 2002 vintageP. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 182 Firefly Books 2004 that included revised boundaries that covered some areas of the original ''classico'' zone and excluded others for reasons that wine expert Oz Clarke described as unclear and ''" Byzantine"''. The revised boundaries and additional DOCG requirements that dealt with vine training and other viticultural practices promoted sharp criticism from Soave growers, and beginning as early as 2003 several voluntarily withdrew themselves from the DOC/G and produced wines under IGT designations.O. Clarke ''Oz Clarke's Encyclopedia of Wine'' pg 347 Time Warner Books, London 2003


Wine region

The Soave production zone is situated in the eastern part of the hills in the
province of Verona The Province of Verona ( it, Provincia di Verona) is a province in the Veneto administrative region of Italy. On its northwestern border, Lake GardaItaly's largestis divided between Verona and the provinces of Brescia (Lombardy region) and Trenti ...
(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 Monteforte d'Alpone is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about east of Verona. Monteforte d'Alpone borders the following municipalities: Gambellara, Montecchia ...
, San Martino Buon Albergo,
Lavagno Lavagno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about east of Verona. The municipality of Lavagno is formed by the ''frazioni'' (subdivisions, mainly villages and h ...
, Mezzane,
Caldiero Caldiero is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about east of Verona. Caldiero borders the following municipalities: Belfiore, Colognola ai Colli, Lavagno, San Mart ...
, Colognola,
Illasi Illasi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, about west of Venice and about east of Verona. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 5,112 and an area of .All demographics and other statisti ...
, Cazzano,
Roncà Roncà is a ''comune'' (township) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about east of Verona. As of 1 June 2007, it had a population of 3,585 and an area of .All demographics and other statisti ...
, Montecchia and
San Giovanni Ilarione San Giovanni Ilarione is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northeast of Verona. San Giovanni Ilarione borders the following municipalities: Cazzano di Tra ...
. The climate of the Soave region is influenced by the mists that flow from the
Po Valley The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain ( it, Pianura Padana , or ''Val Padana'') is a major geographical feature of Northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic ex ...
in the autumn and can bring the viticultural hazards of mold and other
grape diseases This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *'' Ampeloglypter ater'' *'' Am ...
. The Garganega grape, that is the primary component of Soave, is a late-ripening variety with a thick skin that can withstand the mist better than some of the thinner skin varieties like Trebbiano Toscano.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 634 Oxford University Press 2006


Classico

The classico zone was first delineated by Veneto authorities in 1927 and originally encompassed of hillside vineyards within the Soave zone. Today, the use of the specification "Classico" with the designation "Soave" is reserved for the product made from grapes harvested from the hillside vineyards around the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone in the original and oldest classic "zone" of Verona. The
vineyard soils The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...
of this region are considerably less fertile than the alluvial soils in the plains. In the western part of the classico zone near the commune of Soave the soils contain a high percentage of limestone which retain the warmth of the afternoon sun and helps produce fuller, more fruit-forward wines. In the eastern vineyards near Monteforte d'Alpone, the soils are made of decomposed volcanic rock that tends to produce what wine expert
Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
calls "steelier" wines.


DOC/G requirements

Only white wine is produced in the Soave region, and a minimum of 70% must be the Garganega grape. For Soave DOC wine, up to 30% of the blend can come from Trebbiano di Soave, also known as Verdicchio and Nestrano. This grape is distinct from the lower quality
Trebbiano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
Toscano variety of Tuscany (also known as the
Ugni blanc Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
grape used in Cognac production). The DOC rules place new emphasis on the quality varieties and exclude Trebbiano Toscano, which had been allowed to constitute up to 15% of the blend. All the grapes used for the DOC wine must be harvested to a yield no greater than 14 tonnes/ hectare with the finished wine fermented to a minimum alcohol level of at least 10.5%. In the Soave Superiore
DOCG The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
, Garganega must also account for a minimum of 70% of the wine, but
Pinot bianco Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces whit ...
,
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
and Trebbiano di Soave are allowed to fill up to 30% of the remaining blend, with Trebbiano Toscano and other local white grape varieties (such as Friulano, Cortese,
Riesling Italico Welschriesling is a white wine grape variety, unrelated to the Rhine Riesling, that is grown throughout Central Europe. Origin The descendance of Welschriesling is uncertain. The German name ''Welschriesling'' literally means ' Romanic Riesling' ...
,
Vespaiolo Vespaiola is a white Italian wine grape variety planted primarily in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, where it is often dried to produce ''passito'' style dessert wines. Along with Friulano, Vespaiola is an important component in the ...
and Serprina) permitted up to 5% collectively. Grapes are harvested to a more restricted maximum yield of 10 tonnes/ha while the finished DOCG wines must reach a minimum alcohol level of 11.5%. While most Soave Superiore DOCG is produced from vineyards within the classico zone, the boundaries for the DOCG also extend to some of the hillside vineyards that are outside the classico zone. These wines are labeled as Soave Colli Scaligeri Superiore DOCG, a name referencing the hills around Verona that used to belong to the noble Scaligeri family that were
Lords of Verona The Lords of Verona ruled the city from 1260 until 19 October 1387 and for ten days in 1404. The lordship was created when Mastino I della Scala was raised to the rank of ''capitano del popolo'' from that of ''podestà''. His descendants, the Scalig ...
for many years. Additionally, there are also new regulations for planting under the DOCG system with new vineyards needing to be trained using Espalier systems with at least 4,000 vines per hectare. For those vines planted before 2002, the Espalier system,
Pergola A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. The ...
Inclinata and Pergoletta Veronese are allowed. Soave DOCG may be released on to the market only after 1 September of the year following the harvest, and after bottle aging of at least three months.


Soave superior vineyards

As early as 2000 a first mapping of the macro-zones within the Soave Classico zone was carried out, which led to an initial substantial identification of macro-areas whose wines were characterized by similar aromatic and organoleptic qualities. The more detailed research on the vineyards of Soave (2005-2008), carried out by the Consorzio, has been based on the numerous studies already effected, and in particular on that concerning zoning, files were prepared on the most significant wine companies in each of the various homogeneous zones that had been identified, listing the wineries, the labels and the characteristics of the wines.


Other wines

The grape requirements for Recioto di Soave DOCG wines are the same as for basic Soave but the grapes are dried using the appassimento process to accumulate more sugars and such need to be fermented to higher levels of alcohols. Reciotos are fermented to a minimum of 14% of alcohol but still retain distinct
sweetness Sweetness is a Taste#Basic tastes, basic taste most commonly Perception, perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasure, pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds ...
due to the high concentrations of sugars that came from the grapes'
desiccation Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. ...
on the vine. Soave Superiore DOCG wines can also receive a '' Riserva'' designation provided the wine is fermented to a minimum alcohol level of 12.5% and is aged a minimum of 24 months (with at least 3 of those months being in the bottle) before it is released on the market.


Production and style

By the mid-1990s Soave was producing around 6 million cases annually with more than 80% of that being produced by the region's local
co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
and sold in bulk to importers who release the wine under private labels. A sizable amount of this wine comes from the flat ''pianura'' land outside the hilly classico region in the heart of the Soave zone. Most of the more critically acclaimed Soave comes from the hillside vineyards in the Classico zone though critics have argued that this designation does not mean as much since the DOC/G changes of the early 21st century. For most of its history, Soave was produced in a medium-bodied style that was often compared to Chardonnay, except with a distinct bitter
almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
note. In the 1980s and 1990s, production styles shifted to producing more lighter and crisper styles that were closer to Pinot grigio than to Chardonnay. But at the turn of the 21st century, production trends were shifting towards a Soave that better reflected its own character and that of the Garganega grape. Master of Wine
Mary Ewing-Mulligan Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation.Matasar, Ann B. (2006). ''Women of wine: the rise of women in the global wine industry''. University of California Pr ...
describes some of the Soave being produced today as light-bodied, straw-colored wine that has fresh, fruity notes. In 2009, Cantina di Soave co-operative with 2,200 members, generated 48% of total Soave DOC production and 43% of Soave Classico. According to wine critic and author Kerin O'Keefe Cantina di Soave together with seven other co-ops, including the outstanding Cantina di Monteforte, have long been a defining element in the denomination. But over the past decade many growers have begun bottling their own wine, further fuelling a shift towards higher standards. Confusingly for consumers though, some of the best independent producers, such as Gini, Pieropan and Tessari are not using the Soave Superiore DOCG designation, as they feel that well-made Soave Classico DOC wines have slightly less alcohol and extract than the DOCG demands, but are nonetheless more refined and long-lived than the supposedly superior designation.


References


External links


Consorzio Tutela Vini Soave e Recioto di Soave

Associazione Strada del Vino dello Soave
{{wines Wines of Veneto Italian DOC Italian DOCG