The off-radar Italian white rebuilding its reputation

Fashions come and go, sometimes for fickle reasons, sometimes because you can have too much of a good thing. Soave DOC was a victim of the latter: a white wine appellation east of Lake Garda in Italy’s Veneto, where winemaking cooperatives leaned into the popularity of this fresh white wine, to the expense of quality and reputation.

The volcanic soils of Soave are especially fertile, and the late-ripening Garganega grape that leads blends here is especially vigorous, making for very high yields unless they’re kept in close check. Lower-yield, fully ripened Garganega can be gorgeous, with distinctive almond and lemon richness and spice fleshing out its steely tension and natural acidity, which is sometimes further fleshed out with perfumed Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) or Chardonnay. High-yield Garganega, however, can be aromatically neutral if crisp, fresh and accessibly priced. Since the demand for cheap Soave fell victim to fashion (hello, Pinot Grigio!), we see less on lists and shelves.

Soave hasn’t always been cheap co-op wine, however, and nor is all the co-op output a write-off. There have been interesting people working hard to rebuild the quality and the reputation of Soave, both in smaller family-run wineries and larger-scale co-ops. And because of its recent off-radar status, the good stuff offers excellent value, with wines that would fetch a much higher price in more fashionable appellations. You just need to know where to look.

The sub zone of Soave Classico delineates the historic zone where the style originated. Focused in the hilly communes of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone, where volcanic basalt and limestone-rich soils ripen grapes to their full potential, it has a lower maximum yield than basic Soave, at 98hl/ha compared to 105hl/ha. The permitted yields in the newer, more quality-focused Soave Superior DOCG are lower again, at 70hl/ha, and hillier vineyards make for richer, riper wines.

Many producers forged ahead of the DO rules, restricting yields in pursuit of quality. Acclaimed winemaker Roberto Anselmi has operated outside the DOC since 2000, in objection to high yield limits; it also allows him to blend Sauvignon Blanc into his Garganega-led wines.

Today’s wine of the week is an introduction to the family-run Pieropan, responsible for Soave’s first single vineyard wine. Look too for Gianni Tessari Soave (€20, Whelehans); Bertani Soave (€30, Barnhill Stores, Deveney’s) and the textured Cantine di Monteforte Montegrande Soave Superiore Classico (€17.95, independents), proving that co-ops can offer quality-focused value too.