Corte Sant'Alda Soave '25

Marinella Camerani is a leader in the Veneto, not only in terms of quality, but also for her commitment to organic farming and biodynamic practices. She is a first-generation farmer who left her job as an accountant in the family’s battery factory and moved to the farm. Today, she and her partner Hector oversee the 40-hectare estate, half of which is under vine.

Her winery is located in the Mezzane Valley, in the eastern sector of the province of Verona. This fertile valley is an agricultural jewel box, with not just vineyards, but olive groves, cherry and chestnut trees dotting the landscape, along with pigs, cows, and other farm animals. It provides the perfect environment for the local grapes of the region.

Long maligned as an appellation due to commercial production from large producers in the 1980s and 1990s, Soave today has a fierce cohort of family wineries making remarkable, small-production, honest wines. This single-vineyard Soave is mostly Garganega, with small percentages of Trebbiano di Soave and Chardonnay for added texture, all from a biodynamically farmed 1.6-hectare parcel planted in 1988. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by eight months of aging on the lees.

The wine has stunning aromatics of white flowers, bright hops, green herbs, and a nearly sake-like rice note. On the palate, it is snappy, direct, and richly textured, with a distinctive bitterness from the calcareous clay, alongside an almost savory roasted tone that may be linked to the volcanic origins of the surrounding terroir. This is just begging for a simple seared fish preparation, perhaps a fillet of walleye with artichokes and béarnaise. Just as engaging, though, would be a big bowl of simply steamed green peas from Klug Farms with rich butter and mint.