Soave: the Veronese white, revitalized on its volcanic hills
From dry to sweet, starting from €14Soave is produced east of Verona from Garganega grapes. For decades, it filled carafes in trattorias at bargain prices, and the name eventually came to be associated with uninteresting wine. This was true for the flatlands, but never for the hillsides.
In the hills of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, the basalt and tuff soils yield a taut, saline white wine with a bitter finish not found anywhere else in Italy. The table below explains what the Classico and Recioto designations cover, and which one corresponds to what you're looking for.
Zeni - Soave Classico Vigne Alte 2025
An identity and mineral wine from the Soave terroir
Gini - Col Foscarin Recioto di Soave 2016
A high-altitude Recioto di Soave, where the luscious richness meets the volcanic freshness of the Col Foscarin terroir.
Gini - La Frosca Soave 2023
A Soave Classico from volcanic terroir, precise, saline and intensely expressive.
Gini - Garganega Soave 2024
A precise and crystalline Soave, carried by the purity of the Garganega and the energy of the volcanic soils.
Gini - Contrada Salvarenza Soave 2021
A great Soave from old vines, combining mineral intensity, aromatic precision and saline length.
Bertani - Soave Classico Sereole 2024
A floral, lively Soave, peach and apricot: Garganega without make-up.
Bertani - Soave Classico Original Vintage 2022
Garganega from volcanic soils: green apple and almond, with real tension.
What the label says: Classico, Superiore, Recioto
Four terms intersect on bottles in the sector. They do not describe quality levels but areas and methods, and this is the most useful information before buying.
| The statement | The area | The ground | The style | In our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentle the basic designation | The widest area, which descends to the flatlands east of Verona. | Mixed soils, alluvial deposits at the bottom of the slope. | A dry, floral white, to be drunk within two years. | Gini Garganega Soave 2024 |
| Soave Classico the historic core | The hills around the villages of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone. | Basalt and tuff, of volcanic origin. | More tension and salinity, noble bitterness on the finish. | Zeni Vigne Alte 2023, Bertani Sereole 2023, Gini La Frosca 2023 |
| Soave Superiore DOCG | Reserved for hillsides, with lower yields. | Volcanic or limestone depending on the slope. | A later release, meaning a wine that is more developed upon purchase. | No vintage for now |
| Recioto di Soave DOCG, sweet wine | The best bunches from the hillsides, dried on racks before pressing. | Basalt, on well-exposed slopes. | A sweet wine that retains its acidity, never syrupy. | Gini Col Foscarin 2016 |
Gini's 2013 Renobilis is a sweet wine made from dried Garganega grapes, from the same Monteforte d'Alpone hills, but it does not bear the Recioto designation on the label.
Which white wine to open depending on the dish
The previous table classifies bottles by designation. This one classifies them by use, which is often the real question when choosing.
| The dish | What we open | Why | A bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appetizer, fried fish | An entry-level Classic | White flowers, green apple, with a bitter finish that whets the appetite. | Zeni Vigne Alte 2023, €14 |
| Shellfish, white fish | A Garganega only Classico | The salinity of volcanic soil responds to iodine without crushing the flesh. | Bertani Sereole 2023, €20.40 |
| Spring vegetables, vegetarian cuisine | A blend with Trebbiano di Soave | Fermented in tank, with no wood to mask the vegetal notes. Clean and floral. | Bertani Original Vintage 2022, €27 |
| Creamy chicken risotto | An old-vine wine aged on its lees | Bâtonnage provides the desired texture for a sauce, without the need for barrel aging. | Gini Contrada Salvarenza 2021, €101.20 for 2 |
| Gorgonzola, blue cheeses | A Recioto di Soave | The sugar from the raisined grapes balances the saltiness and piquancy of the blue cheese. | Gini Col Foscarin 2016, €171.20 for 2 |
| Almond tart, dry biscuits | A sweet Garganega wine | Same register as Recioto, only more concentrated. Serve well chilled, in small quantities. | Gini Renobilis 2013, €158 for 2 (37.5 cl) |
The Gini estate also produces a red on these same basaltic hills, the Scajari Riserva 2011, at €176. This is a Corvina wine, not a Soave.
A bottle for every intention
The tables give the theory. Here are the wines, with the format in which each is being released today.
A first Soave
Old vines from the historic zone, cold maceration, stainless steel tanks. Elderflower, green apple, chalk, a clear, bitter finish.
Zeni Vigne Alte 2023 · €14The sure bet of the Classico
Garganega from the Sereole vineyard, fermented and aged in steel. White flowers, peach, apricot, an elegant texture.
Bertani Sereole 2023 · €20.40Traditional assembly
Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave, as was done before the latter disappeared from the vineyards.
Bertani Original Vintage 2022 · €27A hillside vintage
La Frosca, a steep parcel in Monteforte d'Alpone on basalt and tuff. Aged on fine lees, bâtonnage, late bottling.
Gini La Frosca 2023 · €123 for 3The oldest vines
Contrada Salvarenza, historic Garganega parcel. Indigenous yeasts, slow fermentation, no barriques.
Gini Contrada Salvarenza 2021 · €101.20 for 2The summer fund
The estate's latest vintage, whole-bunch pressed and aged on lees. The everyday Soave, by six.
Gini Garganega Soave 2024 · €176.40 for 6Verona's sweet wine
Recioto di Soave: grapes dried on racks, fermentation stopped on sugar, aged in tanks and barrels.
Gini Col Foscarin 2016 · €171.20 for 2A rarer sweet wine
Extended passito method and botrytized berries, aged in oak barrels. 2013 vintage, in half-bottles.
Gini Renobilis 2013 · €158 per two bottles (37.5 cl)View all our whites
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Our white wines
The name has been sold off cheaply, not the hill
For thirty years, Soave was produced in volume in the plain and sold at the lowest possible price. It took its reputation with it, and many connoisseurs crossed the word off their list without ever having tasted what was made on the hills.
The estates that persevered are few and almost all work in the same place, on the volcanic hillsides of Monteforte d'Alpone. Manual harvesting, fermentation in vats, aging on fine lees, no new wood. The result remains one of the cheapest Italian whites at this level of precision, and that's the best reason to pay attention to it now.
How do you choose
Regarding the finish. A good Soave leaves a bitter, almost almond-like aftertaste that lingers for several seconds. A bland wine stops abruptly.
And regarding the absence of makeup: no new oak barrels, no residual sugar to smooth things over. Garganega doesn't need it.
The Baroudeur du Vin team
What we are being asked about Soave
What grape is Soave made from?
From Garganega, at least 70%. The remainder may come from Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay, but many wineries do not use them. Our Bertani Original Vintage 2022 combines Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave, while Gini's cuvées are made solely from Garganega.
What does Classico mean on a Soave label?
It's a geographical designation, not a quality grade. It refers to the historical birthplace of the appellation, on the hills around the villages of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone. In fact, that's where the volcanic soils and best plots are found, so the designation remains a useful benchmark.
Does volcanic soil really make a difference?
Indirectly. Basalt and tufa drain heavily, so the roots go deep in search of water and yields remain low. Maturation is spread out, and acidity holds. The difference perceived in the glass is primarily that between the hillside and the plain, and it is distinct.
What is Recioto di Soave?
The sweet wine of the appellation, in DOCG. The finest bunches are dried on racks for several months to concentrate the sugars, then pressed, and fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is consumed. It is served with gorgonzola or dry pastries. We have Col Foscarin 2016 from Gini.
How long does a Soave keep?
Two to three years for entry-level cuvées, which are best enjoyed for their fruit. Old-vine wines aged on lees last much longer and develop a waxy texture with age: our Contrada Salvarenza is a 2021 and has not begun to decline. Recioto can be kept for decades.
At what temperature should I serve a Soave?
Between 10 and 12°C for dry wines, no colder: at 6°C, bitterness and salinity disappear and there's not much left. Recioto and sweet wines are served between 8 and 10°C, in a small glass.
Why are some vintages only sold in cases?
Because the bottle alone is out of stock and we still have complete lots. The displayed price is then for the lot, never for a single bottle: €101.20 for two Contrada Salvarenza, €123 for three La Frosca, €176.40 for six Garganega Soave. We indicate this everywhere on this page.
Do you also make red wine on these hills?
A little, and rarely under the name of the appellation, which only concerns white wine. Gini thus produces the Scajari Riserva 2011, a red Corvina aged for a long time in barrels. The great reds of the province of Verona are found a little further west, in Valpolicella and among the Amarone.