Ever considered an alternative to NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Spanish Albarino
PRODUCER: Cantina di montefote (Coop)
GRAPE: 100% Garganega
YEAR: 2022
WINEMAKER / OWNER
W: Cantina Sociale di Monteforte d’Alpone
REGION: VERONA , NE ITALY
the stuff you want to know…
Its all about the grape :
Garganega
| meaning from “gargano |
| 6th most planted grape in It. |
| can be blended with trebbiano and chardonnay |
| Char: lemon almond and spicy notes |
| ripens late |
| can produce high yields |
| also used for sparkling and sweet wines (recioto) |
also known under the following
Garganega is also known under the synonyms D’Oro, Decanico, Dorana di Venetia, Garganega Comune, Garganega di Gambellara, Garganega Gentile, Garganega Grossa, Garganega Piramidale, Garganega Veronese, Gracanico Dorato, Grecani, Grecanico, Grecanico Bianco, Grecanico Dorato, Grecanicu Biancu, Grecanio, Greccanico, Lizzara, Malvasia de Manresa, Ora, Oro, Ostesa, Ostesona, and Recanicu
DRINKING WINDOW : UPTO 2024
WINE REVIEW
Soave is a dry white Italian wine from the Veneto region in northeast Italy.
2 classifications Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)(Soave Superiore). One classification being more stringent than the other DOCG. Majority are dry but others are sparkling or sweet passito. Situated in the Province of Verona (close to Venice ) The mists can swirl and dart like an angry demon flying through the Po Valley(NW-NE) to reach the Soave region. As you can imagine all that moisture does throw up a few problems from time to time. Mold being one.Soave Classico – was 2,720 acres now 11,190 acres Or 4500 International rugby pitches !
“Soave Classico” means its reserved for the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone. That’s it !
So this wine – sourced from the hillsides near Verona (remember earlier) of a cooperative of 600 wine makers and 1200 hectares you can see that this is about 10% of the Soave production that falls under one business.
Such a big operation you would hope produce elegant, restrained complex and enticing wines. The simple truth is you can’t.
This wine has good acidity, is light in body , has a stone fruit character (peach) and a touch of almonds . Don’t expect too much – expect a pleasant easy going white wine. This is perfect with any salads and lighter pasta dishes. Chicken and turkey also suit. Together with soils of volcanic origin, the taste of mother earth and the heat from the Italian sun. What more do you want. Oh yes the price £6.99 from Waitrose !!!!!!!
EXPERIENCE
Appearance:pale lemon
Nose: Stone fruit & almonds
Taste : Stone fruit & almonds
FOOD PAIRING
Salad
Pasta
Chicken or Turkey
SCORING
SCORE CHART
| LABEL SEXY/3 OK/2 SHAME/1 | 3 | 20 | SUAVE AND DANGEROUSLY DELICIOUS SOAVE |
| PRICE GREAT VALUE/3 OK/2 NO GOOD/1 | 3 | 16-19 | AN ACCEPTED SOAVE |
| TASTE ELEGANT/3 WELL PUT TOGETHER/2 EASY DRINKER/1 | 1 | 15 | EASY DRINKER SOAVE |
| CHARACTER AS IT SHOULD BE/3 METHOD ACTOR/2 OUT OF CHARACTER/1 | 4 | 12-14 | NOT SO SOAVE |
| OVERALL QUALITY UNDERPRICED/3 FIND IT -BUY IT/2 OVERPRICED/1 | 2 | 0-12 | THROW IT IN THE CANAL ! |
| BUY AGAIN Y/N Y/2 N/1 | 2 | ||
| 15/20 |
SUSTAINABILTY
BUT SHOULD INCLUDE THESE POINTS
Water Efficiency, Soil Health & Fertilization, Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, WastWastewater Management, Transportation, Packaging and Material Sourcing
All producers have been asked throughly with regard to their practices and their responses have resulted in their marks out of 30. Sustainability is an important aspect of the life of the vineyard and the scoring system should reflect this.
THE GRAPE WIZARD SUSTAINABILITY SCORING
TOTAL / 10
TOTAL / 10
TOTAL / 10
WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
ECO-SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY
PLANET RESPONSIBILITY SUSTAINABILITY
TOTAL SCORE / 50
30 FOR SUSTAINABILITY 20 FOR TASTING
15/50
At this point you are discovering a style of wine / a grape.
See if it is for you!
Remember you are tying to :
FIND YOUR GRAPE
FIND YOUR CHAMPAGNE !
Need an alternative region or wine ….
Italy
New Zealand
Spain
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio
Albarino
If its not for you…. move on to another grape! (there are over 10,000 of them )
Conclusion – For price and quality, you just cant beat it !
Very recently I increased my review points to include sustainability. No online material is available so its not included in this review , but what you have is a wine with a sexy label , great on a summers day and very good price. Inoffensive and perfect for the summer sun. 15/20
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Music and wine pairing
WINE & MUSIC PAIRING
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