The Veneto region in northeast Italy is famous for producing the white wine Pinot Grigio, the big red wine Amarone and the sparkling wine Prosecco. Soave (pronounced So-Ah-Vay) is not as well-known but is produced in large quantities. Soave is a blend, primarily Gargenega with lesser amounts of Chardonnay and other indigenous grapes.

Roberto Anselmi produces five white wines and none are labeled “Soave”. In 2000 Anselmi disgusted with inferior quality of wines in Soave region, divorced his winery from the Soave DOC. Anselmi and a few other producers wanted more flexibility in wine-making (i.e. blending non-traditional grapes) that differed from government (DOC) standards.

San Vincenzo, Anselmi’s entry level wine, is a good value at $12! This was often at my table which I re-discovered at a recent tasting event.

ANSELMI San Vincenzo
Veneto, Italy $12.
Blend is Garganega 80%, Chardonnay 10%, Sauvignon Blanc 10%.
ALC 12.5% aged 6 months in steel vats.
Very crisp  with scents of minerals and lemon-lime, medium-bodied, dry and fresh. Rated #46 Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2012. Food pairing – salads, grilled fish, shellfish, poultry

The Veneto region in northeast Italy is famous for producing the white wine Pinot Grigio, the big red wine Amarone and the sparkling wine Prosecco. Soave (pronounced So-Ah-Vay) is not as well-known but is produced in large quantities. Soave is a blend, primarily Gargenega with lesser amounts of Chardonnay and other indigenous grapes.

Roberto Anselmi produces five white wines and none are labeled “Soave”. In 2000 Anselmi disgusted with inferior quality of wines in Soave region, divorced his winery from the Soave DOC. Anselmi and a few other producers wanted more flexibility in wine-making (i.e. blending non-traditional grapes) that differed from government (DOC) standards.

DID YOU KNOW? In the 1970’s Soave was the largest selling Italian wine in the USA due to the marketing efforts of Bolla. By the end of 20^th century, Pinot Grigio had surpassed Soave.