Garganega: a renowned white grape variety

The Garganega grape is the most important white grape variety in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza, finding its ideal territory in the Soave and Gambellara areas. The Garganega grape has a wide range of aromas and mineral notes given by the volcanic nature of the soil. With the Garganega grape various varieties of superior white wine are produced, excellent to accompany dishes and desserts, such as passito wines and desserts.

Garganega: ampelography and general characteristics

Among the aromas that distinguish the garganega, almond and white flowers prevail. Below is the ampelography of the Garganega grapes, also called Garganega di Gambellara, Ora or D’oro, or Grecanico:

• medium or large, five-lobed, pentagonal leaf;
• large, cylindrical-pyramidal cluster;
• spherical grape of medium size;
• thin but hard skin, golden yellow in color, tending to pink when ripe.

The ripening times are long, in fact it is completed late towards the end of September, while the harvest takes place between the months of September and October. The productivity of these vines is high and maintains a certain consistency.
They are also resistant to most fungal diseases, which is why its cultivation has continued for hundreds of years.
In its chosen areas, Garganega is cultivated with the historical system of the Veronese pergola.

As for the characteristics of the Garganega wine, it is a superior table wine, which is dry, harmonious and velvety, but at the same time slightly bitter. It does not have a preponderant acidity, but a certain balance of sugars and extracts.

Garganega grapes: a bit of history

The first in history to mention the Garganega wine is De Crescenzi as early as 1495, placing it in the area between Bologna and Padua.
Later, both Acerbi in 1825 and Molon in the early 1900s speak of the vine grown between Veronese and Vicentino. Over the years, thanks to obtaining the DOC designations, Garganega is the origin of wines with excellent olfactory ranges, with an intense smell of white fruits, but also exotic ones, such as pineapple, which give it body.

Other scented notes that can be found in the best vinifications are those of acacia and elderberry, in addition to the scent of citrus fruits. A unique wine of its kind. Registered in the National Vine Variety Catalog since 1970, Garganega is hands down the best known and most important grape variety in the area between Verona and Vicenza, dominating the DOC Soave and Gambellara hills.

These areas are the territories that par excellence allow the Garganega grape to express itself fully in both sweet and dry wines. Both the Soave and Gambellara areas are characterized by a soil of volcanic origin, rich in tuff, basalt rocks and limestone inclusions. In particular, the Gambellara area also enjoys a favorable irradiation with fairly steep hill slopes, an optimal environment for the production of very high quality white wines.

Garganega wine: Passito Veneto – tasting and peculiarities

The Garganega grape does not have a strong aroma, but a bouquet of aromas with a preponderance of almond and white flowers, and a balance between extracts and sugars. These peculiarities make it suitable for different types of wine, from still dry to sweet wines. In fact, the Garganega grape is harvested ahead of time and then left to dry on racks until winter, and sweetly vinified. It can be made sparkling, but also vinified as a passito, such as Recioto Della Valpolicella and Passito Veneto di Garganega.

Produced with Garganega raisin grapes for 4 months, the Passito Veneto di Garganega is a white wine that goes well with desserts. At sight it has a golden yellow color with amber reflections. On the nose, it has an intense aroma of fresh flowers and ripe fruit with a hint of vanilla. On the palate it is warm and enveloping, it has a full but velvety taste, with a persistent flavor of vanilla and almond. The production area of ​​this wine is Negrar, in the classic Valpolicella. The vinification takes place through fermentation in steel containers in a room at a controlled temperature.

Thanks to the sweet but composed note, the ideal accompaniment for this dessert wine of remarkable character are dry sweets and biscuits.
It can also be enjoyed on its own, as a meditation wine in the company of friends and served between 13 ° and 16 ° C.