I recently spent three days in Italy drinking nothing but one type of wine. Sounds pretty boring, you might think, but it wasn’t at all. Ten different producers. Different terroirs, different approaches to winemaking, different vintages. And, it turns out, soave goes with practically everything, which makes it an ideal all-rounder of a summer wine.
Soave is the region, not the grape, which is mostly garganega, though some producers such as Pra (see my pick below) also blend in the more aromatic trebbiano di soave. Soave is in the hilly area east of Verona, and abutting Valpolicella, a style many producers also make.
Soave’s often absurdly low prices are possible because the traditional pergola training system for the vines results in above-average yields. But this wine is also made on less-productive volcanic soils that deliver more intense, concentrated, mineral-rich wines, and is sometimes oak-aged, which some producers use for their better cuvées, both of which bump up the cost.
The problem with cheap prices is that people don’t tend to take a region seriously, so there’s currently a big push to talk about specific terroirs, or UGAs (unitá geografiche aggiuntive, similar to French crus), of which there are a bewildering 33. There’s also an emphasis on how well soave can age. Undoubtedly that capacity is impressive: I tasted a 1984 at Gini that was amazingly drinkable, albeit very different from their more recent vintages (the 2021 is £18.90 at Justerini & Brooks, if you’re interested).
I often wonder about this strategy. The vast majority of drinkers, I suspect, like white wine for its freshness and vivacity, and are highly unlikely to hang on to it for two years, let alone 30 or 40. However, most 2023 soaves – apart from the cheapest bottles such as the Morrisons one in my pick – will benefit from being tucked away until the autumn at least. Soave at Christmas? Now there’s a thought – not that I want to contemplate Christmas right now. And it’s certainly cheaper than white burgundy.
Garganega also produces some attractive, gently fruity sparkling wines that are drier than prosecco but much harder to get hold of here in the UK; they’re quite a bit pricier, too. The grape also goes into a luscious sweet wine called recioto di soave, which is made from grapes dried on straw mats. Again, it’s expensive (top producer Pieropan makes a good one that you can get for £29.99 a bottle from the Sipster), but then, sweet wines generally are. And if you happen to be in the area this summer, do try soave in its natural habitat. A plus: the city of Soave itself is charming and relatively untouristy.
Five soaves to drink this summer
Morrisons Soave 2023 £4.95, 10.5%. I’m not saying that this will knock your socks off, but a decent white at under a fiver is a rarity these days.
Tesco Finest Soave Superiore Classico 2022 £8.25, 13.5%. Impressive own-label that’s good value at £8.25, and even better when it’s on a multi-buy, as it often is.
Inama Vin Soave 2022/3 £16.99 Majestic (or £13.99 on the mix-six deal), 12%. Classic, smooth, delicately creamy. Look for the 2022 rather than the ’23, which needs a bit longer to settle.
Pra Monte Grande Soave 2021 £23.99 D Byrne, Clitheroe, £29.99 JN Wine, 13%. Luscious, headily perfumed and tastes of juicy white nectarines. Shows what the denomination is capable of. (Pra’s basic soave, Otto, is delicious, too.)
Ca’ Visco, Coffele Soave Classico 2023 £16.50 The Wine Society (Fraziers has the 2020 on offer at £18, which might be interesting), 12.5%. Another top-notch soave that would benefit from waiting three to six months before you dive in. I tasted a 2012 that was gorgeous.