Posts archive for March 2011
A Small Slice of History or do I mean Trivia?
American soldiers returning home after the Second World War brought with them certain scraps of European culture and lore, among them, the mistaken idea that “Soave” was a term for light, dry whites, while “Chianti” was synonymous with inexpensive reds.
A bright, sun-shiny day
The Soave Consortium is gearing up for Vinitaly, the world’s largest annual wine trade fair. The fair is held in Verona from April 7 through the 11th. There are plans for press conferences and book presentations and – most important – tastings and food pairing suggestions. The stand is the same place as in years past: Pavilion 5, stand F7-G7. I will give you more details as they become available to me.
Flooding
Persistent heavy rains have inundated northern Italy. The towns of Soave and Vicenza were particularly hard hit. The Tramigna River, which runs through Soave, overflowed its banks, filling the streets with up to a meter of water. More than twenty families were evacuated from their homes and the newscasts are filled with images of helicopter rescues and shallow bottomed boats navigating the streets. Fortunately, the rain has stopped and the river is now receding.
Bottega del Vino is open once again
The historic Veronese locale, The Bottega del Vino, is open once again! This is good news for wine lovers, and especially for the hordes of wine trade professionals who flock to the city in April for Vinitaly, the world’s largest annual wine trade fair. The Bottega was for decades the focal point of Verona’s social life; it has now been revived by 12 of the leading local winemaking families and the rice producer, Riseria Ferron. They have maintained the osteria/restaurant’s warm and inviting décor and its traditional menu, hospitality and fine wine list. So, when you are next in Verona, stop by for a cool glass of Soave. Among the producers on their list are: Le Mandolare, Tenuta Sant’Antonio and Bertani.
Calling all Guitar Heroes!
Saturday 30th April and Sunday May 1st, the elegant medieval town of Soave hosts the world’s niftiest guitar players at the 20th annual Soave Guitar Festival. This is a unique opportunity to rub shoulders with such greats of the jazz and rock scene as Laurence Juber, Biorn, Monte Montgomery, Paolo Sereno, Frank Vignola and the Pedro Javier González Trio, who will be performing throughout the weekend. For more information go to: www.soaveguitarfestival.com or contact pierpaolo@guitarranch.com
Slow Wine Soave
Wines from Soave scored exceptionally well in the brand-new 2011 Slow Wine Guide (for the moment, only available in Italian). This guide focuses not only on wines that are classics of style, but also on how the wines are made and the environmental impact of their production methods. read more
The world’s food-friendliest wine
Reading through the tasting notes written about Soave in the recent Wine Enthusiast, I was struck by how many tasters felt compelled to mention the foods for which Soave would make a good partner. Soave really is one of the world’s food-friendliest wines. Several years ago my colleague in Singapore, Edwin Soon, and I put together a booklet for the Soave Consortium called Soave and Asian Food: An Ideal Match. From that beginning, the Consortium has published a series of these booklets, each focusing on the cuisines of particular countries. read more
Soave Scores in the Wine Enthusiast!
Soave wines featured prominently in the Wine Enthusiast’s March Wine Buying Guide.
More than forty Soaves received top scores, with 20 wines earning top marks of 88 or 87 points. Prices ranged from $11 to $30. The enthusiastic tasters noted the classic note of minerals and the apricot-like fruit, along with “a playful touch of grapefruit.” read more
