Veneto: Valpolicella & Soave in Focus

Valpolicella sits just north of Verona, its vineyards climbing the slopes of the Lessini Mountains between 150 and 500 metres. The area’s hills and valleys shelter sites from cold winds and create diverse microclimates, with warmer pockets closer to Lake Garda. Grapevines grow on limestone and volcanic soils, and most of the top estates are in the historic Classico zone, though Valpantena and the eastern valleys are also important.

The wines are blends built around the Corvina grape, with smaller amounts of Corvinone, Rondinella and other local varieties. Basic Valpolicella tends to be light, lively and cherry‑scented, while richer styles come from drying the grapes or re‑fermenting the wine. Sweet Recioto and dry Amarone are made from air‑dried fruit, which concentrates the sugars and flavours before fermentation. Ripasso, meanwhile, is a midweight style created by passing young wine over the leftover grape skins from Amarone, giving extra depth and a hint of raisined character. Together these styles showcase how the region’s climate and grapes can produce everything from refreshing reds to full‑bodied, long‑lived wines.

Soave, east of Verona, is a white‑wine territory centred on hillside vineyards around the towns of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone. Here the Garganega grape dominates, often blended with a little Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay. The vineyards are planted on two main soil types: in the west, chalky marl produces delicate, floral wines, while in the east, basalt and tuff yield more structured, spicy expressions. Most quality producers highlight wines from the original, higher‑elevation Classico zone; flatland sites added when the region was expanded in 1968 tend to make simpler wines. A sweet passito version, Recioto di Soave, is also produced from dried Garganega grapes. In recent years the focus has shifted back to single-vineyard bottlings and careful viticulture, emphasising Soave’s potential for ageworthy, mineral‑tinged whites.

Canoso

The story of Canoso stretches back to 1876 and is rooted in the volcanic slopes of Monteforte d’Alpone. For decades the family sold wine in demijohns, until the early 1970s when a young Giuseppe Meneghello Canoso bought the Cà del Vento hill and, with sons Primo and Massimo, shifted to quality‑driven viticulture. Their first bottles were released in 1990. A 2016 partnership with entrepreneur Giovanni brought renewed energy, and today each bottle reflects both heritage and a commitment to sustainable practices.

 

Based in the tiny Cà del Vento cru of Soave Classico, the winery makes about 90 000 bottles a year, focusing on craftsmanship rather than volume. Vineyard work dominates, while in the cellar selected yeasts, cool fermentations, and lees aging in steel for whites—and French oak for reds—preserve purity. A range of tank sizes allows small parcels to be vinified separately, maintaining a clear sense of place.

 

The estate farms 12 hectares of vines on south‑east‑facing volcanic soils at 90–290 metres. Garganega, Trebbiano Veronese and Manzoni Bianco form the core of the whites, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and other reds. Vines aged 20–45 years enjoy constant breezes, while cover crops, hand work, and low yields ensure healthy grapes and elegant wines that marry fruit, floral and mineral notes—a testament to the richness of their terroir.

The Wines 

NV ‘La Mossa’ Brut Garganega

Made from 100 % Garganega grown on volcanic basalt, this spumante is fermented in autoclave for 90 days. It shows a clear, brilliant colour with persistent bubbles, and the nose mixes grapefruit and mature pear with a subtle mineral edge. On the palate it is dry yet smooth, balancing acidity and saltiness with a lingering almond‑like finish; it’s best enjoyed young.

 

2023 ‘Fonte’ Soave Classico

Sourced from 35‑year‑old Garganega vines trained on Guyot, this Soave spends at least six months on lees in stainless steel. The wine is bright, intense yellow with aromas of chamomile and field flowers backed by balsamic notes of elder and lime. In the mouth it’s dry with a fine balance of acidity and softness, offering mineral length that persists on the finish.

 

2019 ‘Verso’ Soave Riserva

This single‑vineyard Garganega sees eight hours of skin contact and a year on lees. The straw‑yellow wine has golden reflections and an intense bouquet that begins with iodine‑like mineral notes, then shows lavender, kiwi and melon. It tastes fresh and precise with a balanced interplay of acidity and softness, finishing with a hint of almond bitterness typical of Garganega.

 

2020 ‘La Terra’ Valpolicella Superiore

Made from Corvinone, Corvina and Rondinella (40 %/40 %/20 %), the grapes are dried for 20 days and macerated on skins for ten. The wine, aged three years in mixed French oak, shows a ruby‑red colour with garnet hues and aromas of mature black cherry and blackberry with touches of vanilla and spice. The palate is dry, smooth and persistent, balancing acidity and saltiness.

 

2016 ‘Corpo’ Amarone della Valpolicella

This Amarone blends Corvinone, Corvina and Rondinella (40/40/20). The grapes are air‑dried for three months, macerated for ten days and aged four years in Slavonian and French oak. The wine is deep ruby‑red with garnet hints. Its aromas combine red berries in spirit with vanilla and roasted coffee. On the palate it begins with a balanced mix of light tannin and red cherry, then unfolds into mature red‑berry and tobacco‑leaf flavours, finishing harmonious and built to improve over time.

 

2017 ‘Passo’ Recioto di Soave

A passito made from Garganega grapes dried for six months, macerated for 24 hours, then slowly fermented and aged three years in used French oak. It is golden yellow with amber highlights. The nose is ample and elegant, featuring saffron, turmeric and arbutus honey with balsamic hints of cardamon. The palate is firm and enveloping; the sweetness is balanced by the region’s natural acidity and sapidity, leading to a sweet but not cloying finish.