Need to know

Garganega, which is pronounced ‘gar-gan-neh-gah’, is a late-ripening and thick-skinned grape variety with a high acidity. Despite stories about its Greek origin, Garganega is actually almost certainly native to northern Italy.

Soave (pronounced ‘sway-veh’) has to be made with a minimum of 70% Garganega. The rest can be made up of Trebbiano and Chardonnay grapes.

There’s a lot of very ordinary Soave about, but at its best, it is a contender for Italy’s inest white wine. It’s the same variety as the Grecanico Dorato, which is popular in western Sicily, especially around Trapani and the capital, Palermo. The irst planting outside Italy was in South Australia in the Barossa Valley in 2004. There’s also some Garganega in Victoria.