Soave, the large and once easily dismissed appellation in Italy’s northeast Veneto region, produces some of Italy’s most exciting white wines. Actually, it always has, but was overshadowed by industrial-scale winemaking that took root in the 1970s and ’80s as the Soave zone was greatly expanded.
Soave became synonymous with cheap, insipid, industrial wines — the white-wine companion to the red Valpolicella, also from the Veneto. The wines were often the sole offerings at Italian-American restaurants of the red-and-white tablecloth variety.
Fortunately, Soave, made primarily from the Garganega grape, has largely recovered from that reputation as smaller producers and their quality wines once again define the region.
Soave means “smooth” or “soft” in Italian, and while the wines may indeed be easy to drink, the better examples have a complexity that elevates them from the more ordinary Soaves. Garganega is sometimes blended with the Trebbiano di Soave variety, which is genetically identical to Verdicchio and not to be confused with the better known but less interesting Trebbiano Toscana.
The best wines are usually, but not always, from hillsides in the original Soave “Classico” zone, and are labeled Soave Classico or Soave Superiore, in contrast to wines from vineyards planted in the lower plains when the Soave area was expanded. Simpler, lighter expressions can be flinty, appley, and high in acid. The better wines have more body and and show riper fruit with melon and pear notes.
The vineyards generally lie in mineral-rich soils — volcanic rock or calcareous clays, the latter giving the wines their fresh acidity. Like Chardonnay, Garganega is a chameleon grape, easily expressing the terroir in which it’s grown.
In fact, Soave is a great alternative to Chardonnay, demonstrating excellent complexity in the “Classico” examples. While the Garganega fruit profile is somewhat different, Soave Classicos remind me of Burgundy’s Chablis. And, like wines from Chablis, they are generally aged in stainless steel without exposure to oak.
As more people turn to white wines, Soave, with its interesting character and affordable prices, should be at the top of the list
Here are six of the best Soave wines:
Inama Foscarino Soave Classico 2023
This stunning Soave Classico is from the famed Foscarino area of Soave. It has beautiful balance with a nice combination of ripe stone fruits, pear, and Meyer lemon aromas along with a slightly creamy almond note. It’s crisp and elegant on the palate with a flinty minerality.
Price: $35
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Suavia Monte Carbonare Soave Classico 2023
The name of the winery, Suavia, is an old word for Soave, and Carbonare refers to the vineyard’s black volcanic soil that is reminiscent of coal (carbonare in Italian). This memorable wine is a great expression of Soave, with luscious apricot, pear, and pineapple fruit along with a slightly bitter herbal counterpoint. A tingling saline minerality, a touch of cream, and a refreshing acidic lift round out the equation. Also worth trying: Suavia’s regular 2024 Soave Classico.
Price: $32
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Pieropan Soave ‘Pieropan’ 2024
Young, fresh, and made for seafood, this Soave leans to the herbal side with aromas and flavors of green apple skin, citrus, a hint of underripe strawberry, and a touch of cream that emerges as it warms up. A good under-$20 value.
Price: $19
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Prà Soave Classico ‘Otto’ 2024
There’s nice complexity in this Soave Classico with notes of pear, green apple, apricot, and pineapple along with hints of lime, almond, and fresh thyme. There’s both a rich mouthfeel and a freshness, a winning combination in this lovely wine. (Otto was the name of owner Graziano Prà’s Border Collie.)
Price: $18
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La Cappuccina Soave 2023
This unusual Soave is marked by floral and honeysuckle aromas and ripe fruit notes — melon, spicy orange, honey, along with a hint of cream from lees aging. There’s also a distinct flinty minerality. Its modest alcohol level of 12 percent is typical of many Soaves and makes them such excellent food wines.
Price: $19
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Gini Soave Classico 2024
Here’s another great Soave Classico value from a top producer, which, like many of the better Soaves, is made from organically grown grapes that, in this case, are at least 70 years old. With aromas and flavors of white peach, herbs, baking spices, and minerals, the wine is textured and polished.
Price: $19
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