Soave, in Britain, is deemed one of the most basic of Italian white wines, but the Italians themselves think more highly of it. And rightly so, because much of the Soave they drink is better than what they send to Britain.
In Verona and around Lake Garda, Soave is a wine restaurants take pride in and serve as a house speciality. It may be good, it may be less good, but it is usually worth drinking, especially on a warm night, after a performance at the Verona Arena, with lightning flickering in the distance.
In Britain, it is what you find in corner shops amid a jumble of odds and ends. If the label simply says “Soave” - a place name but also a word meaning smooth or suave, it is best avoided. It will not be suave. But if the defining word “classico” or “superiore” - or preferably both - is also on the label, it is likely to be a safer buy.
As so often, Waitrose sells a good one, a 2013 classico costing £7.99. It is certainly suave, without being sweet, but with a background hint of nettles which adds to its interest and makes it a match for pasta and antipasti, though it is equally enjoyable on its own.
16 January 2015
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