Stelo Italian Wine

Garganega is believed to be of Greek origin. While found in isolated pockets throughout Italy, it produces its most memorable results in the Veneto provinces of Vicenza, Padua and Verona. When grown in optimum sites, when yields are kept low and when the grapes are allowed to ripen fully, this variety is capable of producing whites with delicate flavours of pear, pineapple and apricot which become fuller and more luscious as the wine matures. Garganega is especially the major component in Italy‚is most maligned wine: Soave. Soave: Over-production in the past made the name Soave synonymous with neutral anonymous whites. Only few producers rose above the bland morass, producing elegant, well-structured and flavourful wines. In recent years, they have been joined by a small but ever increasing band of dedicated, quality-led winemakers. The Soave production area, which received the DOC designation in 1968, is some thirty kilometres east of the northern Italian city of Verona. At its centre is the Classico zone, whose vineyard sites are limited to a few hillsides around the quaint medieval town of Soave itself, and the nearby hamlet of Monteforte d‚iAlpone. The vineyards in the foothills and plains surrounding the hilly Classico zone are referred to locally as ‚iSoave DOC‚i in order to distinguish them from Soave Classico. The traditional blend for Soave is a minimum of 70% Garganega, with the optional addition of Chardonnay and/or Trebbiano di Soave. Some producers choose to make the wine using only Garganega. They are also free to use wood or use stainless steel. All these options mean that styles can vary considerably from producer to producer. Simple Soave is designed to be drunk a year or two after the vintage. Soave that has spent some time in barrels can usually last a year or so longer. But it is with single-vineyard Soaves from quality-conscious producers that the Garganega variety is able to demonstrate its ageing potential. The first single-vineyard Soave was the 1971 Calvarino. Today‚is crisp, supple, floral-scented Calvarino is made from around 70% Garganega and 30% Trebbiano di Soave. In 1978 an incomparable 100% Garganega Soave was launched. Now most quality-led producers make at least one single-vineyard wine. Well-made examples can be drunk from three to eight years after the harvest, and wines from top vintages and top producers can easily keep (and improve) for ten years or more. Some producers also make sparkling Soave. When made with care, this is a lovely wine for drinking with a light summer lunch or while watching the sun go down on a warm evening. It is, however, seldom found outside the zone. Recioto di Soave: In 1998 Recioto di Soave, a sweet wine, became the Veneto‚is first DOCG. Grapes for Recioto are usually picked a bit earlier than the rest of the harvest, and are left to dry on racks or in wooden or plastic crates for several months before being pressed. The resulting must is very dense and rich and produces wines with an alcohol level of around 14°. When well-made, a Recioto di Soave is nothing short of magic: it achieves excellent balance between acidity and sweetness, with tantalising fragrances of green tea and yellow fruits ‚i peaches, apricots ‚i mingling on the nose. Few Reciotos, however, live up to this ideal. Some producers also make a sparkling Recioto di Soave: it is an acquired taste. Gambellara: A provincial border divides the Soave zone from the tiny (some 990 hectares in all) Gambellara area (DOC since 1970). The grape mix and wine styles are very much the same for both zones. Dry Gambellara is composed of a minimum of 80% Garganega. Gambellara Recioto is made from semi-dried grapes just as in Soave. The only difference is that here the grapes are sometimes draped onto screens which are hung from the ceiling, rather than dried on racks. Local producers are particularly proud of their sparkling Recioto. Gambellara Vin Santo is not made like Tuscan Vin Santo. Here the term simply applies to a wine made from semi-dried Garganega which is aged for a minimum of two years before being released on to the market. The Colli Berici zone, east of Gambellara and south of Vicenza, makes a DOC Garganega, to which small amounts of Trebbiano di Soave may be added. The Colli Euganei zone, south of the city of Padua, uses Garganega as a component in its Bianco. Both these zones are emerging as important areas for fine wine production, particularly with regard to Cabernet- and Merlot-based wines. For a well-made dry Garganega: Fresh, citrusy fragrance with notes of elderflowers and acacia blossoms, and a creamy undertone. On the palate, elegant apricot flavours emerge. For sweet Garganega: when good, it offers an exquisite balance between lively acidity and sweet, apricot-tinged fruit. I often find a light note of green tea on the nose.