Soave, The Scene, the Sights and the Sips-A Preview
A Medieval Village, A Wine Region, A Way of Life
This month, the #ItalianFWT (Italian Food, Wine & Travel) Group is featuring Soave. Do you know Soave? Soave is a few things: a traditional Italian village, a wine and a way of life. Soave is located in Italy’s northeastern region of Veneto. Surrounded by it’s beautiful Medieval walls with twenty-four towers, the village of Soave is home to approximately 7000 people. At the heart of this Medieval village is Castello Scaligero, the immense and iconic 10th century castle that dominates the landscape.
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| Soave Castle, Castello Scaligero |
Soave is also characterized by its hills, gentle slopes and ample greenery with a mild climate, consisting of moderate winters, long autumns and relatively warm summers. As the climate is moderated by nearby Lake Garda, any time of year is great to explore the Soave lifestyle. In terms of food, polenta and risotto are typical meals. Risi e bisi, or rice and peas cooked with pancetta is a traditional dish. Due to its surrounding lakes, rivers and sea, fish and seafood dishes are plentiful. Baccala Mantecato is a favorite. The commune of Soave along with the Veneto region affords one the opportunity to experience thermal spas, national parks, skiing, fishing, museums and more. Soave is great for day trips or longer excursions.
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| Risi e Bisi |
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| Baccalà Mantecato |
Although a small commune, Soave is chock-full of restaurants, hotels, things to see and do and year-round festivals. Two of their larger festivals are the Medieval White Wine Festival in May and the Soave Versus Festival in September. When traveling to Soave, be sure to explore Palazzo Scaligeri, Palazzo Cavalli, Palazza del Capitano, Palazzo di Giustizia and the other historical paintings and frescoes in the churches and surroundings. The main feature, Castello Scaligero, cannot be denied, as it boasts awesome views of the village and the encompassing vineyards.
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| Piazza Scaligeri |
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| Piazza di Giustizia (Photo Credit: Verona Tourism) |
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| Piazza del Capitano (Photo Credit: Verona Tourism) |
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| Piazza Cavalli (Photo Credit: Soave Tourism) |
Wait…did someone say vineyards? We sure did. Soave is not only a Medieval village, it produces Italy’s star white wine of the same name.
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| Photo Credit: Consorzio di Tutela del Soave |
Soave is a dry white Italian wine produced from the Garganega grape. The region has both a Soave DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) zone, which was designated in 1968 and a Soave Superiore DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), which was designated in 2001. Soave Superiore DOCG wines can also receive a Riserva when the wine meets stricter fermentation and aging requirements. The DOC and DOCG zones are further divided into subzones that specify either a general or classico Soave. The classic zone is the oldest, as it was the first delimited wine zones recognized by the Italian authorities. While “classico” is reserved for wines produced in the heart of the Soave region and are in the hillsides, the flatlands and everything else is classified as general Soave. Higher quality DOC Soave wines can be found in the Colli Scaligeri subzone. Finally, although most Soave is dry, still wine, a sweet, sparkling spumante style is permitted as is the passito Recioto style, produced under the Recioto di Soave DOCG designation which was granted in 1998. If the Recioto comes from the classico subzone, it can carry that designation as well.
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| Map of Soave Wine Region |
As Soave has different appellations, the soils and character of the wines can vary greatly. The wines can be produced from limestone soil, resulting in fuller, fruiter wines. They can also be produced from the volcanic soil in the east, resulting in lighter, earthy wines with mineral notes. The different styles of Soave all prove to be versatile with endless pairing options. Have you experienced Soave, the region, wine or lifestyle? Which Soave style wine do you enjoy?
Want to learn more about this wine and beautiful region in the Northeast of Italy? Join me and my fellow bloggers of the #ItalianFWT group on Saturday, June 2 at 11am/EST to learn more about Soave. Here’s a preview of what you can expect:
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Planted, harvested and aged in NY. I have a background in education and marketing, with a love and passion for travel...and all things wine. In addition to writing about wine, I also maintain an online wine boutique (thewininghour.com) that caters to the winelover, as well as the weekly vinous winechat (#WiningHourChat) on Twitter (see page for more info).
