Wine Denomination from Veneto
Soave is a dry white wine from the hills east of Verona, in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. It is named after the walled medieval town of Soave and made mainly from the local Garganega grape. Soave became a DOC in 1968, one of Italy's first. It was hugely popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, when much of it was cheap and bland. Today the best Soave, from the hillside Classico zone, is one of Italy's most underrated white wines.
Soave must contain at least 70% Garganega, and many of the best bottles are 100% Garganega. Up to 30% can come from other white grapes, mainly Trebbiano di Soave and Chardonnay. Trebbiano di Soave is not the common Trebbiano: it is genetically the same grape as Verdicchio, and it adds freshness and acidity. Garganega ripens late and has thick skins. On good hillside sites it gives wines with real depth that can age for several years.
Soave is always dry (except the sweet Recioto, below). It is light to medium in body, with fresh acidity and a soft, slightly creamy texture. Expect lemon, pear, yellow apple, white peach and white flowers, with a typical almond note on the finish. Soave Classico from the hills adds a salty, mineral edge. With a few years in bottle, the best wines develop notes of honey, chamomile and toasted almonds. Most Soave sees no new oak.
If you like Pinot Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay or Gavi, you will probably like Soave. It has a little more body and texture than Pinot Grigio and less sharp acidity than Sauvignon Blanc. Its closest relatives are other Veneto whites, especially Lugana, from the south shore of Lake Garda, which uses the same grape as Trebbiano di Soave.
Most Soave is inexpensive because a large share of it comes from the flat land south of the hills. There, vines give high yields and grapes are cheap to grow and pick. Large cooperative wineries turn this fruit into simple, inexpensive wine for supermarkets. The hillside Classico zone is different. Its slopes are steeper, yields are lower and much of the work is done by hand, so the wines cost more and taste of much more. The lesson: a cheap Soave and a good Soave Classico are almost different wines.
In the US, basic Soave costs about $10–15. A Soave Classico from a quality producer usually costs about $18–30. Single-vineyard bottles from the top estates cost about $25–45. Recioto di Soave, the sweet version, usually comes in smaller 500 ml bottles at a higher price. At every level, good Soave is cheap for the quality compared with white Burgundy or other famous whites.
Since 2019, Soave labels can also name one of 33 officially mapped hill areas, such as Foscarin, Castellaro or Froscà.
These family estates lead the hillside Classico zone:
- Pieropan: the best-known name. Try the Soave Classico, the single-vineyard Calvarino and the richer, partly oak-aged La Rocca.
- Inama: known for wines from the volcanic Foscarino hill, such as Vigneti di Foscarino.
- Gini: old vines and age-worthy wines, including the Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne.
- Prà: pure, mineral Garganega, such as Staforte and Otto.
- Suavia: volcanic-soil specialists; try Monte Carbonare.
- Also excellent: Coffele, Ca' Rugate, Filippi and Gianni Tessari.
For more picks, see our best Soave wines guide.
Serve Soave chilled, at 8–10°C (46–50°F), in a standard white wine glass. Basic Soave is best within two years. Good Soave Classico can age for five to ten years, and cru wines often taste better after three or four.
Soave is a very food-friendly white. Try it with seafood pasta, shrimp scampi, grilled fish, risotto with vegetables or seafood, chicken, and soft cheeses. Richer Classico wines can handle creamy pasta and white meats. In Verona it is the classic match for risi e bisi (rice and peas) and freshwater fish from Lake Garda. Pair the sweet Recioto with blue cheese or almond cakes.
Soave is pronounced SWAH-veh, in two syllables. Garganega is gar-GAH-neh-gah.
Soave is the classic white wine of Veneto. Read our Veneto wine guide for Prosecco, Valpolicella and Amarone, see our best Italian white wines, or browse every Soave in our catalog below.