Romeo and Juliet … which wine would they choose to toast their love? Soave is the wine of “youth and love”, said Gabriele D’Annunzio. Let’s start this story with a quote in honor of love and the wines we have chosen to treat to celebrate love. Valentine’s Day is the feast of lovers, and lovers are symbolically represented by Romeo and Juliet. The protagonists of the Shakespearean tragedy need no introduction, we all know the story that has elected them as a symbol of pure love. Shakespeare drew inspiration from an English tragedy by Arthur Brooke which in turn was inspired by a French novel, that took the plot and names from the tragedy written by Luigi da Porto in 1530. Here we are at the moment when the events of the young lovers, which pay the consequences of family prejudices on their own skin, are set in the city of Verona. The province of Verona, with the hills and the Lessini mountains, Lake Garda and the various climatic and geological zones, has for millennia been an area suited to a wide and varied wine production. The wines of Verona are so numerous and different that there is one for every occasion and recipe, so thanks to Romeo and Juliet and to this special territory it was decided to elect this area as the protagonist of the tasting created specifically to celebrate Valentine’s Day. .
Let’s take a look at the denominations of this province: Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave, Bardolino, Lugana, Custoza, Monti Lessini Durello, Valdadige / Terra dei Forti, Arcole. There are 8 DOC areas in the province of Verona that produce every possible type of wine: sparkling, white, rosé, red, passito white and red, for daily consumption and for special events. There is a Verona wine to pair with every possible dish, course, occasion. At this point of our story we return to our starting point, to the Soave!
Soave, a wine that takes its name from the town in the province of Verona where it is produced, is one of the best known Italian white wines sold abroad. It is made with Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grapes. The first is characterized by a yellow color which, when approaching complete ripeness, tends almost to a copper color and by aromas of white flowers and almonds; the second, on the other hand, is a savory and lively grape. This wine is produced in three different versions: moderately sparkling, sweet (Recioto di Soave) and the still and dry one. The name of this wine derives from the Swabians (Sauves) who arrived in Italy under the command of King Alboin and settled in this area where today we find the town of Soave. Soave wine is harmonious, with a fruity and intense aroma and a dry flavor characterized by an aftertaste of white flowers and almond. The combination of Trebbiano di Soave, very savory, and Garganega characterized by a high density, make this wine energetic and essential. Some variants of Soave also mature well in wood, making it an excellent wine to drink in any situation. This wine is also recognizable by its straw yellow color tending to greenish, by a contained acidity, by its delicate taste and by an alcohol content that is usually around 11.5%.
At this point we interrupt our story so as not to reveal too much about the VALENTINE’S DAY TASTING, in which we will let you discover the most persuasive wines of this area in combination with courses suitable for the occasion and above all, all accompanied by the stories of our Sommeliers. To find out more and book your tasting dedicated to love, contact us by clicking here.