October 18th-Garganega

I last discussed Garganega on September 28th 2021 but thought I would return to this grape again this week. It is widely available and great to cook with. Garganega is the grape used in the production of Soave DOC and DOCG wines. There is a range of wines in Soave, starting with Soave DOC. Soave DOC was established in 1931. Since this time, the region has expanded to be three times its original size. This classification also has the highest maximum grape yields allowed. The extending of the appellation borders means that some parts may have suboptimal growing conditions, such as different soil types, cooler sites that don’t consistently allow for full ripening, fertile growing environments that result in vigorous growth and reduced grape ripening, just to name a few. The high yields can decrease the intensity of the grape although Garganega is less affected by this than many other grape varieties. This category accounts for a vast majority of the wine produced from Soave. The next level is another DOC, Soave Classico DOC. Wines from this appellation must be grown on hills in the Classico region. These hills have the more ideal limestone soil which is well draining and controls vine growth. The maximum allowable yields are slightly less than the previous category. Both of these factors lead to grapes with increased concentration. These are also released a few months later than Soave DOC. The last level of dry designations is the Soave Superiore DOCG. This classification has the lowest maximum yield and is released later. Soave Superiore DOCG shares the same growing area as the sweet wine from this area, Recioto di Soave DOCG. Recioto is made by drying the grapes, which decreases their weight by about one-third. The last two classifications make up a very small portion of wines from this appellation, less than 1%.

This week I chose to drink a 2019 Suavia Soave Classico. Soave Classico is released on February 1st the year after harvest so this bottle was released around February 1, 2020. Garganega has a high level of acid and doesn’t lose its aromas readily so it is capable of aging. Some higher quality versions are aged in oak prior to release. Wines that are aged can develop nutty and honied aromas. This pale lemon wine has aromas of peach, honeydew, lemon, apple, and wet stone. This dry wine has a high level of crisp acidity with a fuller body, and moderate level of alcohol. This wine gains some texture for spending time on the lees (dead yeast cells) prior to being bottled for release. The bright stone fruit, green fruit and citrus notes were also apparent on the palate and persisted on the long finish. This wine had not yet gained any additional character from being bottle aged. I was cooking when I opted to open this bottle for my white wine ingredient. I used this in making traditional carbonara a la Marcella Hazan. The crisp acidity was a welcomed ingredient with the rich pancetta, egg yolk, parmesan and romano cheeses. The fruit notes also added a subtle counterpoint to the savory elements of this dish. Suavia is a widely available brand of Soave Classico and fairly reasonable at under $20. It’s a great alternative if you’re stuck in a rut with Pinot Grigio. 

-TheLooseTannin