Few people realise that the Soave wine from Veneto is produced in a volcanic wine region, such as Vesuvius near Naples or Mount Etna in Sicily. In fact, it is the only volcanic wine-growing region in the whole of northern Italy. The 1,700-hectare volcanic core zone lies at the heart of the wine-growing region, between the eponymous town of Soave and the municipality of Monteforte d'Alpone, and is known as the Soave Classico DOC appellation. So if you find the name Soave Classico on a wine label, the bottle comes from this ancient, volcanic production zone of basalt, tuff and pumice soils, where extremely juicy and mineral-spicy Soave Classico wines can be pressed.
The core area is surrounded by the larger Soave DOC designation of origin, in which a much leaner and fruity, fragrant Soave style predominates compared to the classic zone. This is due to the flat plains with limestone soils on which the vines are planted. The top category applies to the Soave Superiore DOCG, which may come from the volcanic Classico area as well as from the neighbouring vineyards of the Soave DOC and the nearby Colli Scaligeri.
All Soave wines consist of at least 70% Garganega, a high-yielding grape variety that naturally produces intense tropical fruit flavours and a very pleasant acidity. It is one of the oldest grape varieties in Italy and can be blended with the late-ripening Trebbiano di Soave (also known as Verdicchio) up to 30% for the three Soave wines, which provides the typical, slightly almond-like finish. Other varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc are also permitted to a lesser extent.
Despite the same proportion of grapes, Soave, Soave Classico and Soave Superiore could not be more different: The volcanic Soave Classico presents itself as sharp, complex, citrus-fruity and mineral-salty, while the lighter Soave style from limestone soils produces fine notes of white flowers, apricots and tropical fruits. If you like it more concentrated and mature, we recommend a Soave Superiore, which has a minimum alcohol content of 12% and is often aged for several months in wooden barrels. Finally, there is the ancient white sweet wine Recioto di Soave DOCG made from dried grapes, which is rightly considered the flagship of the breathtakingly beautiful Venetian wine region.
We have over 30 fine white wines from the multifaceted Soave appellation and hope you enjoy discovering the differences. SUPERIORE.DE
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