The wine world is full of elusive unicorns: drinkable pinot noir for under $20...California chardonnay that doesn't clobber you with oak and alcohol...domestic reds that go well with food...
Another unicorn is a sure thing. Whether a producer, grape, region, method, style, there are very few corners in the market that you can experiment in without feeling like your hard-earned money is at risk of being wasted, or at least under-utilized. The search for these sure things is what makes loving wine - and writing about it - fun. The companion experiences of hunt and discovery can be at times disappointing, but such luxurious pursuits surely beat a day at the office.
People who want a shortcut to a sure thing often ask what my "go-to" wine is. The truth is that it changes, not just because of vintage variation, but because tastes change from season to season, and as we age. But from time to time I have a ready answer to that question. Today, it's Soave Classico.
The Soave of my adolescence was insipid plonk my parents only occasionally had the courtesy of refrigerating. So rancid, it could only be choked down when mixed with Sprite. But Italian winemaking (and availability of product) has come a long way in the decades since. A couple of years ago I rediscovered Soave (Soave Classico specifically) at a simple lunch in Florence. Since that day, I haven't had a bad bottle - and it hasn't been for lack of exploration. Nor have I spent more than $16.
The term Soave is given to dry white wine from the Veneto region of Italy made primarily (if not entirely, of the garganega grape. Classico is a subzone of the broader Soave region characterized by hillside vineyards surrounding Verona. (Similarly, Chianti also had a Classico subzone, or DOC - Italy's counterpart to the US' AVA.)
What does it taste like? White flowers over ripe pear, apple, and lemon, framed by minerality and luminescence. Not enough to get your off the couch? What really sets it apart is the texture: supple and beckoning, its simplicity has an irresistible allure; a come-hitherness. This I have found in just about every Soave Classico I've had. Very few wine styles, grapes, regions, or producers bat anywhere north of .500, especially at reasonable prices. The 2016 Suavia Soave Classico pictured below will set you back a mere $13.
So, as we lurch into porch season, this discovery is worth sharing - and seeking out. Enjoy!
Another unicorn is a sure thing. Whether a producer, grape, region, method, style, there are very few corners in the market that you can experiment in without feeling like your hard-earned money is at risk of being wasted, or at least under-utilized. The search for these sure things is what makes loving wine - and writing about it - fun. The companion experiences of hunt and discovery can be at times disappointing, but such luxurious pursuits surely beat a day at the office.
People who want a shortcut to a sure thing often ask what my "go-to" wine is. The truth is that it changes, not just because of vintage variation, but because tastes change from season to season, and as we age. But from time to time I have a ready answer to that question. Today, it's Soave Classico.
The Soave of my adolescence was insipid plonk my parents only occasionally had the courtesy of refrigerating. So rancid, it could only be choked down when mixed with Sprite. But Italian winemaking (and availability of product) has come a long way in the decades since. A couple of years ago I rediscovered Soave (Soave Classico specifically) at a simple lunch in Florence. Since that day, I haven't had a bad bottle - and it hasn't been for lack of exploration. Nor have I spent more than $16.
The term Soave is given to dry white wine from the Veneto region of Italy made primarily (if not entirely, of the garganega grape. Classico is a subzone of the broader Soave region characterized by hillside vineyards surrounding Verona. (Similarly, Chianti also had a Classico subzone, or DOC - Italy's counterpart to the US' AVA.)
What does it taste like? White flowers over ripe pear, apple, and lemon, framed by minerality and luminescence. Not enough to get your off the couch? What really sets it apart is the texture: supple and beckoning, its simplicity has an irresistible allure; a come-hitherness. This I have found in just about every Soave Classico I've had. Very few wine styles, grapes, regions, or producers bat anywhere north of .500, especially at reasonable prices. The 2016 Suavia Soave Classico pictured below will set you back a mere $13.
So, as we lurch into porch season, this discovery is worth sharing - and seeking out. Enjoy!
