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06/21/2000 Archived Entry: "Great Soave and What To Drink While In Italy"

This week’s wine buy from Carol Berman is Ca’ Rugati Soave Classico. Since the early 1970s, the Bolla wine company has done such a superb job of marketing their Soave that too many Americans (and Italians) think that there is no other Soave. Indeed, I’m certain most people so closely associate Bolla with Soave that they are not aware Soave is the name of a wine from the Veneto region (around Venice) – from Verona, specifically -- and that it is made by many producers other than Bolla. They may even think that Bollasoave is one word. As made by Bolla, Soave is a light, dry, undistinguished but innocuous white wine. At one time, it was the most popular white wine import from Italy, right after Chianti when Chianti was synonymous with Italian red wine.

Unlike run-of-the-mill, thin and uninteresting Soave, Ca’ Rugati’s Soave Classico is a deep straw yellow (truly golden), with hints of almond and summer fruits in its bouquet. It has some character and elegance. It is very crisp and dry, making it a great accompaniment to seafood, but it is not austere, which is one of the virtues of Soave that makes it so appealing to the popular palate and one reason Bolla did so well with it.

Ca’ Rogati is the producer’s name, Ca’ being short for Casa (house) in the Veneto dialect. The word classico indicates that it is, to oversimplify, from the inner circle of Soave production – the best!. Carole Berman and I tasted the 1998 vintage, which is indicated in small type on the back label. It costs about $9.99 and it is distributed in New York and New Jersey by R & R Marketing, Trenton, NJ. They haven’t yet gotten back to me with the names of local retailers.

FYI: Another great Soave is made by Pieropan, a small family operation in the heart of Verona. In the mid-1970s, I visited Pieropan (as well as other Soave producers) and immediately hit it off with the family. I even stayed with them a few days. So perhaps I am prejudiced, but I still think of Pieropan as the standard for Soave. I see it from time to time on wine lists – most recently at Baldoria, the new restaurant on W. 49th St. owned by Frank Pellegrino, Jr. of Rao’s fame -- and it is available at fine wine shops.

What Wines To Drink While In Italy
I got the following e-mail from Peter Silverstein today:

Your show today was right on target for our upcoming September trip to Italy, as we were discussing what types of wines we should have while there. Then you had Carol Berman on and she mentioned Soave. I must admit that I associate Soave with Bolla (great marketing on their part), and do enjoy drinking it.

Of the four of us on our trip, our wine tastes vary from Cote du Rhone, Merlot, Pinot Grigio to Beaujolais. One person insists on pouring any red wine into a glass with ice! That is what happens when you move from Bensonhurst to western New Jersey. On the white side, we drink Pouilly Fuissé and Pouilly Fumé, and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Our experiences with Italian wines is somewhat limited to Chianti, Bardolino and Soave.

What wines would you suggest for us?

When travelling (anywhere), drink the wine (or for that matter, the beer or booze) of the place you are in. If you don’t know what that is, it is never, ever bad form to ask your waiter what the wine of the region is. Many guidebooks have this information, too.

In Italy, in most restaurants and trattorie, there will be a local wine offered in carafe or by the pitcher. I always start by trying that. Mostly, it is agreeable and fine enough. It's never really high quality wine, as you would get in a bottle, but it is so cheap, I mean really cheap by American standards, that if you don't like it -- if it is too light, thin, acidic, mean or rot gut in any way -- you can always not drink it. Don't send it back and ask for a refund or anything like that. We are talking about a very few dollars. Then, and only then, when you have determined that the house wine is not at all interesting to you, you can order bottled wine.

Still, order bottled wine of the locale you are in. In Florence, that would include Chianti, a red wine, of which there are many quality levels and many, many producers. In the Veneto (in and around Venice), that would include Soave (a white wine), Valpolicello (a light red wine), Bardolino (another light, red wine), and Prosecco (a very likable sparkling wine). In Rome, Frascatti (a sharp white wine) is local, but Rome being a vast, cosmopolitan city, its restaurants offer everything the country has to offer.

I mention Florence, Venice and Rome because that is the “Italy 101” trip, if you get what I mean – it’s the basic first tour of Italy. Italy may well have more different wines than any other country on earth so it would be impossible for me to cover anything more here. As you might imagine, however, there are books on the subject and if you are truly interested in getting the most out of your trip – drinking-wise – let me suggest you pick up a copy of Burton Anderson’s Guide To Italian Wines. This is a recently published, newly revised edition that will be an enormous help and education.