Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Soave DOC, 2023, ($16.99, ABV 11.5%), a white wine from the Tamellini Winery in Soave, near Verona in the Veneto. The family Tamellini had been winemakers for several generations, but two brothers, Gaetano and Pio Francesco, wanted to take their legacy to the next level. Their goal was to create a stellar Soave that would set them apart from other winemakers and they founded their own winery in 1998.
Their label of two brothers holding a yoke of a large bunch of grapes illustrates their equal division of labor for Soave. Gaetano takes care of the growth and production of their vineyards while Pio is the winemaker who transforms the Veneto region’s signature grape, Garganega, into Soave. Their vineyard covers 30 hectares in the Soave DOC area of production that was established in 1968.
The medieval town of Soave was once a strategically located fortress equidistant from Verona and Vicenza. Writings from the Roman era show that wine has always been made in this area, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that Soave became one of Italy’s best-selling wines.
The grapes for the Francesco brothers’ DOC Soave are grown on the valley floors at the foot of the Lessini Mountains. The deeper, more fertile volcanic soils are rich in clay and sedimentary material that makes their Soave DOC wine crisp, with refreshing acidity and minerality.
Soave is made from 100% Garganega grapes, with prominent notes of white flowers (acacia), stone fruits (apricot, white peach) and citrus (lemon zest, grapefruit) with a subtle hint of a bitter almond finish. Enjoy Soave as an aperitivo, or pair with Piazza’s pizza Margherita with mozzarella di bufala and basil, fresh fish or delicate pasta or risotto entrees. My fave veggie pairing is spring asparagus, drizzled with Piazza’s lemon EVOO with fresh sage leaves that turn crispy.
Soave has long been a customer favorite but if you have not yet tasted it, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from Noon to 2:30. Our Saturday tasting will be short due to my being a member of the Easton Choral Arts Society and our Saturday performance is late that afternoon.
Cin Cin!
Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St., suite 23 , in Easton, MD
