Soave

Soave is a dry, light to medium-bodied white from Veneto in northern Italy, made mainly from the Garganega grape. Expect lemon, green apple and pear with white flowers, herbs and a subtle almond finish. Fresh but full of character, it’s brilliant with prawns, grilled fish, seafood pasta, risotto, roast chicken and light Italian dishes.

Taste:

Fresh, citrusy and quietly more interesting than it first lets on.

Soave is typically dry and light to medium-bodied, with refreshing acidity and flavours of lemon, green apple, pear and sometimes white peach. Floral aromas are common, alongside subtle herbs, mineral notes and a distinctive almond-like finish.

Lighter versions are crisp and incredibly easy to drink, while more concentrated Soave can bring extra texture, ripe stone fruit and even honeyed or nutty flavours with age.

It's fresh enough for a sunny afternoon but has enough going on to survive an actual conversation over dinner.

Multitasking. We respect it.

Food Pairings:

Soave is particularly good with seafood, vegetables and lighter Italian food.

Try it with prawns, mussels, crab, calamari, grilled fish, sea bass, cod or seafood salad. It’s also brilliant with seafood pasta, prawn linguine, spaghetti alle vongole and dishes with lemon, garlic or fresh herbs.

Risotto is another great match. Try mushroom risotto, seafood risotto, vegetable risotto or a simple Parmesan risotto.

For meat, pair Soave with roast chicken, grilled chicken or lighter chicken pasta dishes.

Vegetarian options include grilled courgette, asparagus, roasted vegetables, pesto pasta, bruschetta and tomato and mozzarella salad.

For cheese, try mozzarella, ricotta, goat’s cheese, Parmesan or other fresh to medium-strength Italian cheeses.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Soave, Garganega is the grape to explore further – it’s responsible for the majority of the wine and its signature citrus, floral and almond character.

Gavi is another brilliant Italian option if crisp acidity, green fruit and minerality are what you love.

Verdicchio brings citrus, herbs and a similarly distinctive almond edge, while Pinot Grigio offers an even lighter, cleaner Italian style.

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More About Soave:

Soave comes from Veneto in northeastern Italy, in vineyards east of Verona. Garganega is its key grape, although other permitted white varieties can be included depending on the appellation rules.

You'll see several different terms on bottles. Soave Classico comes from the historic hillside growing zone around Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, while Soave Superiore follows additional production requirements and has DOCG status.

The best examples, particularly from hillside vineyards and older Garganega vines, can be much more concentrated and age-worthy than Soave's easy-drinking reputation might suggest.

For years, Soave was famous for cheap Italian white.

Turns out it had considerably more on its CV.