If you are blasé and tired of the typical ABC (Anything But Chardonnay), then this relatively inexpensive wine may be of interest.

Now I don’t buy many white wines as a rule, and those that I do, like the rosés, I generally carbonate. I like and prefer sparkling wines, unlike, probably the majority of those who frequent Casemates. More on that in a bit.

The descriptions of this wine on tasting are spot on. Indeed it is notably lightly fruit forward, with apple/pear flavors, a pronounced minerality, good acidity, and to me a slightly bitter lingering aftertaste. I suspect the bitterness is a result of aging on the lees for a prolonged period.

I chilled the wine, and when I opened the bottle it was at 44°F, a bit too cold, but by the time I had the first quaff it was well into the 50-60°F range.

The first wee glass I had with some homemade yeast rolls and a bit of string cheese, with which it paired well.

I am smack out of proscuitto, at the moment, but this wine would go well with this type of antipasto, I think.

Since I was a bit peckish still, I decided to push my luck and try the wine with of all things, Vita pickled herring in white wine sauce and some more of those roll slices. Now I like pickled herring, – something which I have enjoyed from time to time as a treat in the Netherlands and Denmark. I usually have some in the fridge. Strangely, I seem to have it all to myself, as no one ever touches it save me. Imagine that?

Not many wines would stand up to that sort of full frontal assault, so it is nothing off this offering that this Soave Classico was not an exception. Interestingly, the minerailty and the intrinsic acidity held up and persisted, but the subtle green apple/pear notes were completely overwhelmed. Ice cold, even sub zero, aquavit and some strong beers are is about the only alcoholic beverages that stand up to pickled herring.

I gathered from a quick Internet search that this wine is a relatively inexpensive wine in Italy, so I expected to the price point to be about where it is on Casemates.

Decoding the name: Guerrieri Rizzardi is the name of the winery and the wine making family. “Guerrieri-Rizzardi, the historic house in Veneto, dates back to the unification of two ancient estates in 1913, when Carlo Rizzardi from Valpolicella, married Guiseppina Guerrieri of Bardolino. From the 1950s Antonio Rizzardi managed and developed the estates, focusing on viticulture and in the 1970s he acquired the estate in Soave.”

“Soave is the region of central Italy, (Soave is a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) Italian white wine from the Veneto region (Northern Italy, bordering Lombardia to the west, Trintion-Alto Adige to the NW, Austria to the north, and Friuli Venezia-Guila and the Adriactic to the east and Emilia Romagna to the South) and is known for wine production from the period of the Etruscans of 1,000 B.C and before. It’s known for its dry, crisp, and refreshing style, often described as having notes of citrus, pear, and almond, with a touch of minerality. Soave is primarily made from the Garganega grape, but up to 30% of other permitted varietals can be included).”

Classico: “A term most commonly used for wines from the original, classic part of a DOC(G) region. In most cases, these types have stricter condition, for example a higher alcohol content.”

“DOP: (Protected Designation of Origin (Denominazione di Origine Protetta), a certification that guarantees a food product’s origin and production methods, ensuring that it’s made in a specific geographic area using traditional techniques and ingredients. This certification is a legal guarantee of authenticity and quality, meaning that only products meeting these strict criteria can bear the DOP label.)”

The wine is listed as a 70/30 blend of Garanenga/Chardonnay grapes. Garanenga is a grape that is unfamiliar to me, so I did a bit of research.

Here’s what I found on Wikipedia:

"Garganega (Italian: [ɡarˈɡaːneɡa], Venetian: [ɡaɾˈɡaneɡa]; meaning “from Gargano”) is a variety of white Italian wine grape widely grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy, particularly in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. It is Italy’s 6th most widely planted white grape. It forms the basis of Venetian white wine Soave and is also a major portion of the blend used to make Gambellara.

DNA typing studies in 2003 and 2008 have confirmed that the Grecanico Dorato (Grecanico) grape of Sicily is identical to Garganega. Already before these studies, ampelographers believed the grapes to be related due to the similarities of clusters, berries and leaf characteristics.

A Garganega wine from Sicily where the grape is known as Grecanico.

In the Soave region, Garganega is the primary grape and can compose anywhere from 70 to 100 % of the blend with Trebbiano and Chardonnay being its usual blending partners. In the Classico zone of Soave, where yields are most often kept in check, the grape can produce a delicate wine with lemon, almond and spicy notes. In addition to Soave, Garganega is also widely grown in the Gambellara, Bianco di Custoza, Colli Berici and Colli Euganei DOCs. Outside of the Veneto, there are some plantings in the Umbria and Friuli wine regions.

When grown in Sicily under the name Grecanico Dorato, the grapes ripens late and can produce a wine with tangy acidity.

The Garganega vine has a tendency to ripen late and can be very vigorous. In the fertile flatlands outside the Soave Classico zone, the grape can produce excessively high yields that lead to very thin and neutral flavored wines. The acid levels in Garganega lends itself well to the production of sweet recioto wines that have the potential to improve with bottle age for a decade or more.
An Italian study published in 2008 using DNA typing showed a close genetic relationship between Garganega on the one hand and several other Italian grape varieties on the other hand: Albana, Catarratto, Empibotte, Greco Bianco del Pollino, Malvasia di Candia a Sapore Semplice, Marzemina bianca, Montonico bianco and Trebbiano Toscano (also known as Ugni blanc). It is possible that Garganega is one of the parents of each of these grape varieties. However, since the parents of Garganega have not been identified, the exact nature of the relationship in each case could not be conclusively established.[3] The results were of particular interest, since these seven grape varieties are spread from north to south Italy (and Trebbiano Toscano beyond Italy’s border), which indicates that Garganega is a key variety in the pedigree of white Italian grape varieties."

One note of caution: Though I cannot ever recall seeing this wine listed on Casemates, owing to the uncertain current world of import tariffs, I wouldn’t hold my breath as to when, if ever one is likely to see such an offering again, particularly at this price point. Just sayin’…

The only other reference I could find in the Casemates offerings in the past was for a Guerrieri Rizzardi Pojega Ripasso (red wine) on Feb 10 2024.

I did get a chance to carbonate the remainder of my bottle. It turned out very well based on what I knew of it as a still wine.

The apple/pear notes were enhanced, the minerality really shined, and the bitter after taste was muted. As I am low on whites and rosés in the cellar, I’m in for a couple of cases.