Recioto di Soave DOCG

Recioto di Soave's roots stretch back to antiquity. The Soave hills were already renowned for white passito wines as far back as the fifth century A.D., and a reference to Recioto as 'a well-regarded vin santo' appears in André Jullien's 1816 Topographie de Tous les Vignobles Connus. The wine received its first formal recognition at the Milan trade fair in 1906. In 1998, Recioto di Soave became the first wine in the entire Veneto region to receive DOCG status, a distinction that acknowledged roughly 1,500 years of continuous passito winemaking tradition in this corner of the province of Verona.

• References to white passito wine from the Soave hills appear in written records dating to the fifth century A.D.
• An 18th-century manual describing how to make Recioto outlines a process essentially identical to that followed by producers today
• Recioto di Soave was the first Veneto wine to attain DOCG status in 1998, preceding Soave Superiore DOCG by three years

The Recioto di Soave DOCG production zone corresponds exactly to that of Soave Superiore DOCG, encompassing hillside vineyards across 12 communes in the province of Verona, including Soave, Monteforte d'Alpone, Roncà, Montecchia di Crosara, San Giovanni Ilarione, Cazzano di Tramigna, Colognola ai Colli, Caldiero, Illasi, Lavagno, Mezzane di Sotto, and San Martino Buon Albergo. Vineyards are planted between 35 and 380 meters above sea level, with slopes facing primarily east, south, and west. The soils are of volcanic origin, dominated by basaltic tuff that provides excellent drainage and contributes the mineral character distinctive to Garganega grown in this zone.

• Production zone spans hillside vineyards across 12 communes in the Verona province, corresponding precisely to Soave Superiore DOCG boundaries
• Soils are volcanic in origin, composed primarily of basaltic tuff that forms an ideal growing medium for Garganega
• Vineyards range from 35 to 380 meters elevation, with east, south, and west-facing exposures ensuring optimal ripening

Garganega is the cornerstone of Recioto di Soave, required at a minimum of 70% of the blend, with Trebbiano di Soave permitted up to 30% and up to 5% of other authorized non-aromatic white varieties from the Verona province. Garganega is traditionally trained using the Pergola Veronese system, which allows it to achieve maximum sugar concentration while retaining the acidity essential to balance the wine's sweetness. After harvest, selected grapes are spread on bamboo mats or racks in ventilated fruttai and dried for approximately five to six months, concentrating sugars and allowing subtle noble rot to develop. The resulting wine must reach a minimum of 12% actual alcohol and 70 g/L residual sugar, and is characterized by golden color, honey, dried apricot, almond, and floral aromas, with a velvety and harmonious palate.

• Minimum 70% Garganega required; Trebbiano di Soave permitted up to 30%, plus up to 5% other authorized Verona-province white varieties
• Garganega is traditionally grown on the Pergola Veronese training system, preserving acidity while maximizing sugar accumulation
• Appassimento drying lasts approximately five to six months, with subtle noble rot development adding complexity during the process

Pieropan stands as one of the most historically significant producers of Recioto di Soave. Founded in 1880, the estate has been making its Le Colombare Recioto di Soave Classico DOCG for multiple generations using 100% Garganega dried for approximately five months on bamboo mats in the traditional fruttaio. Grapes are pressed in early spring, fermented in glass-lined concrete tanks, and aged in large French oak casks. Roberto Anselmi was another pioneer, and his I Capitelli, originally produced as a Recioto di Soave, became iconic when the 1988 vintage scored 95 points in a blind tasting by Wine Spectator. Anselmi now releases I Capitelli as a Veneto IGT since choosing to step outside the Soave DOC framework from the 1999 vintage onward. Coffele is another respected estate, with their Le Sponde noted for bright acidity and a fresher style.

• Pieropan Le Colombare: 100% Garganega from certified organic hillside vineyards in Soave Classico, dried for approximately five months on bamboo mats
• Anselmi I Capitelli: originally a Recioto di Soave, now a Veneto IGT passito; the 1988 vintage scored 95 points in a blind tasting by Wine Spectator
• Coffele Le Sponde: recognized for a lighter, fresher style with bright acidity that balances the wine's inherent sweetness

Recioto di Soave DOCG regulations require a minimum of 70% Garganega, up to 30% Trebbiano di Soave, and a maximum of 5% other authorized non-aromatic white varieties from the Verona province. Minimum actual alcohol is 12%, with minimum 70 g/L residual sugar, and yields for dried-grape production cannot exceed 40%. Grapes must come from hillside vineyards within the Soave Superiore zone, and wines may not be released before September 1 of the year following harvest. A Classico sub-designation applies to wines produced within the traditional Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone heartland. A Spumante style, made using the Charmat method, is also permitted under the regulations but is rarely encountered.

• Minimum 70% Garganega, minimum 12% actual alcohol, and minimum 70 g/L residual sugar required by DOCG regulations
• Yields for the dried-grape production cannot exceed 40% of the fresh-grape weight
• A Classico sub-designation is reserved for wines from the historic Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone heartland; a rare Spumante style is also permitted

The Soave wine zone east of Verona combines medieval architecture with living wine traditions. Soave's well-preserved 14th-century castle and historic town walls provide a dramatic backdrop for wine tourism, while the surrounding hillside fruttai can be visited during autumn to observe the traditional grape-drying process in action. Pieropan operates a visitor center and tasting room at their new underground winery on the Soave hillside, opened in April 2022 and named in honor of the late Leonildo 'Nino' Pieropan. The traditional pairing of Recioto di Soave with Pandoro di Verona, the region's celebrated sweet bread, reflects a centuries-old local food culture that remains very much alive in Verona and its surroundings.

• Pieropan's underground winery, opened April 2022 and named in honor of Leonildo Pieropan, offers tastings and cellar visits by appointment
• Autumn fruttai visits (September onward) allow guests to observe the appassimento drying process firsthand at participating estates
• Pandoro di Verona, the region's classic sweet Christmas bread, is the traditional local pairing for Recioto di Soave