Soave DOC; Soave Superiore DOCG
[SWAH-veh]
Located in the western part of Italy’s VENETO area east of Verona around the town of Soave, this demarcated zone produces Italy’s most popular DRY white wine. There’s a smaller CLASSICO zone that encompasses the hilly areas that are mostly north and east of the town. Soave wines are made from a minimum 70 percent GARGANEGA plus other varieties like CHARDONNAY, Pinot Bianco (PINOT BLANC), and TREBBIANO grapes. Most Soave wine is regarded as undistinguished, but the wines from the Classico area are generally of higher quality. There are also a few producers that make very high quality single-vineyard wines. In 2001, the SUPERIORE version was elevated to DOCG status. Superiore on the label indicates that the wine is 1 percent higher in ALCOHOL and is AGED for a minimum of 6 months (RISERVA wines for 24 months). The Superiore designation only allows wines from about 80 percent of the vineyards in the full Soave DOC. It also requires that these vineyards lower allowable YIELDS by about 30 percent. This same area also makes a SPUMANTE version and a RECIOTO DI SOAVE DOCG (a sweet wine). Bolla, the Verona-based wine firm, is closely associated with Soave, so much so that many consumers have thought that Soave is a proprietary brand name of Bolla.
Related Links:
Bianco di Custoza DOC, Recioto di Soave DOCG
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
1995 based on THE WINE LOVER'S COMPANION,
by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst.
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