Liquid Assets: Soave is making a new name for itself

U.S. imports of the pale beauties increased 20 percent last year.

By BILL WARD, Star Tribune

September 26, 2011 at 3:32PM

It's been very encouraging to see the white wines of northern Italy, generally crisp and food-friendly, start making major inroads on these shores. From Friuli's lovely blends and Alto Adige's steely offerings in the east to Piedmont's bracing bottlings in the west, these white wines are an increasing, and welcome, presence on local shelves.

Just as encouraging, the subregion that provided many of us with an introduction to northern Italy's pale beauties -- Soave -- has really got it going on. A boatload of clean, fresh, balanced wines are emanating from this hilly region near Verona. U.S. imports increased 20 percent last year and are up again in 2011.

Soave from Bolla was a popular jug wine in the last quarter of the 20th century. These were fruity offerings made for a mass audience, truly simple pleasures. "It is such an inoffensive wine," wrote Italian wine expert Victor Hazan, "that to reproach it for not having a bolder personality seems peevish."

Ouch. Blessedly, today's Soaves -- made primarily and sometimes entirely with the garganega grape -- have at least a somewhat bolder personality, and many are downright racy. With medium body and zesty texture, they're not as simple as most pinot grigios and not as tiring as oaky chardonnays.

"People like soft-tasting white wines," said Andy Kass, who owned the Italian-focused store Sutler's and now works for Haskell's. "And Soave is a really pleasant wine."

Good Soaves are crisp and vibrant, wavering between lean and lush, with lemony flavors and great mouthfeel from fruit/acid/mineral harmony.

They're also great food wines. "When certain pairings pop up with customers, like white fish or anything with a cream sauce," said Peter Vars of Thomas Liquors in St. Paul, "I just ping in to Soave."

Thomas, like most local stores, usually has only a couple of Soaves available, but what's in this market is almost uniformly good. And unlike many Italian whites, superb Soaves are available for less than $20, starting with (surprise!) the $12 Bolla, which is lively in the middle and a bit sweet at the end.

The $16-$18 range is a mother lode of delights: the dry, focused Allegrini; the always fabulous Inama (perhaps this market's most readily available Soave Classico), the beautifully layered Pieropan, the lively and engaging Ca' Rugate San Michele, the somewhat tropical Corte Sant'Alda and the slightly herby/spicy Tamellini. (I'm also a fan of the very lemony, very minerally Rocca Sveva, which will be back in this market in October.)

At this time of year, our thoughts tend to turn to the red wines of Italy. But Soave is one white that will retain a place at our table well after the tundra becomes frozen.

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BILL WARD, Star Tribune