Wednesday, October 28, 2009

De Valier Soave 2008

I found a description of Soave that I just love. Pardon me while I borrow this from sfgate:
"Soave, a picturesque village complete with storybook castle and crenellated walls, lies just north of Verona in Italy's Veneto region. Its Classico zone encompasses about 4,200 acres over a series of volcanic hills, about 25 percent of the total area. The indigenous Garganega grape forms Soave's core. Sometimes it's blended with Trebbiano di Soave; locals are quick to point out that grape is different from popular Trebbiano Toscano, which they believe makes vapid wine, and which has been banned from the Soave region."
Read more of this article here. That's the way to run your wine region. Hate a grape? Ban it! Normally I would be opposed to such extreme measures, but there is something about the way wine from Soave tastes that makes me think they know what they're talking about.

The Bottle
: There's not much in the way of information on the label, but the wine clocks in at 11.5% abv and is imported by Casa Torelli. Grapewise, it's 80% Garganega Del Veneto / 20% Trebbiano Del Veneto. If memory serves - I really need to start writing prices down - this wine cost me about $12 with a bit of a discount from the wine tasting where I bought it.


The Nose
: Once the bottle is open and the wine is poured, things start to get interesting. I picked up white peaches, pears and apples on the nose, along with a substantial sense of minerals. It pours up a lovely golden color in the glass, by the way.


The Taste
: Quite crisp and full of a sense of that volcanic soil that actually overrides the fruit, this wine features a wonderful nutty flavor which really hangs around a while. I figured this would be a good match with food, and I have been proven correct twice. At the tasting event, risotto was served - a Venetian recipe, with heavy cream, butter and parmesan cheese - and it paired very well. The Soave also tasted wonderful later with my wife's Angolan rice, chicken and delicata squash dish. She used grains of paradise in the broth, and the wine really set that flavor off nicely. If you're interested, you can find that recipe - and a world of others - at
I Cook The World.

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