Trebbiano

Trebbiano is one of the most widely planted varieties of grape in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac and Armagnac productions. Also known as Ugni blanc, in particular in France, it has many other names reflecting a family of local subtypes, particularly in Italy and France.

History

Trebbiano may have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and was known in Italy in Roman times. A subtype was recognized in Bologna in the thirteenth century, and as Ugni blanc made its way to France, possibly during the Papal retreat to Avignon in the fourteenth century.

Pedigree

An Italian study published in 2008 using DNA typing showed a close genetic relationship between Garganega on the one hand and Trebbiano and several other grape varieties on the other hand. It is therefore possible that Garganega is one of the parents of Trebbiano, however, since the parents of Garganega have not been identified, the exact nature of the relationship could not be conclusively established.

Verdicchio

Verdicchio [verˈdikkjo] is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy. The name Verdicchio derives from verde (or "green") and refers to the slight green/yellow hue that wines made from the grape can have.

Verdicchio is the principal grape behind two Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wines produced in the provinces of Macerata and Ancona, Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. In addition to producing still wines, Verdicchio grapes are also used to make sparkling wine and straw wine.

History

Verdicchio has had a long history in the Marche region of central Italy with documents noting its presence there since at least the 14th century. Despite its sensitivity to climate conditions and propensity to produce variable yields of variable quality wine, Verdicchio was a very popular planting in central Italy with an estimated 65,000 hectares planted in the mid-1980s. These figures made Verdicchio the 15th most planted variety of any grape in the world, ahead of well-known varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc and Sangiovese.

Soave

Soave is a small comune of the Veneto region in the Province of Verona, northern Italy, with a population of roughly 6,800 people.

Geography

Soave is located approximately 23 kilometres (14 miles) east of Verona and is reachable by use of the A4 motorway exit Soave-San Bonifacio.

History

Soave was a Roman center on the via Postumia that connected Aquileia to Genoa. There are different names about the origin of current name: according to one theory, it could derive from the Suebi (sometimes called Soavi in medieval Italian).

The castle was cited for the first time in occasion of the Magyar invasions (934). In the 13th century it was a possession of the Counts Bonifacio, which installed a capitano here. The walls still visible today, were built in 1379 by Cansignorio of the Scaliger family. Their rule was followed by those of the Visconti from Milan and the Carraresi from Padua; the latter lost Soave in 1405 to the Republic of Venice. In 1439 Visconti troops under Niccolò Piccinino captured it back, but Venice regained it soon. During the War of the League of Cambrai (1508), the city was fired and 366 Soavesi killed, but again in 1515 it was reacquired by Venice, which later sold the castle to the Gritti noble family.

Soave (disambiguation)

Soave may refer to:

Soave (wine)

Soave (pronounced So-Ah-Ve) is a dry white Italian wine from the Veneto region in northeast Italy, principally around the city of Verona. Within the Soave region are both a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) zone and a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation known as Soave Superiore with both zones being further sub-divided into a general and classico designation for the wines produced in the heartland of the Soave region around the sloping vineyards of Verona.

Throughout the Soave production zone Garganega is the principal grape variety though Trebbiano di Soave and Chardonnay are permitted in varying percentages. While most Soave is dry, still wine within the DOC zone a sparkling spumante style is permitted as is the passito Recioto style, that in 1998 was granted its own Recioto di Soave DOCG designation for grapes grown in the hilly region.

History

Soave saw a peak of popularity in United States during the mid-20th century Italian wine boom that followed the end of World War II. Driven by the marketing efforts of large producers like Bolla, Soave even surpassed Chianti in the 1970s as the largest-selling Italian DOC wine in the US. By the end of the 20th century, Soave's share of US sales were eventually eclipsed by Pinot grigio and an influx of new wines from southern Italy.