Fifty years ago, Soave was the most popular Italian wine in the U.S., it even outsold Chianti.

Soave (“swah-vay”) is an Italian white wine made of Garganega (“gar-GAN-nehgah”) grapes grown around the village of Soave in Northern Italy.

Soave means "soft" in Italian, and the soft floral bouquet and fruit flavors help it to live up to its name. It is considered the most famous white wine in Italy.

Soave is a light-to-medium bodied white wine, with fruity flavors and moderate acidity. Overall, it falls between a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay.

By Italian regulation, Garganega grapes must make up at least 70 percent of a Soave wine, while a maximum of 30 percent Chardonnay and Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) are allowed.

Common flavors of Soave wine include Peach, Pear, Honeydew, Citrus Zest, and sometime a bit of saltiness.

Depending on the aging process, Soave can taste either lean or rich. The more affordable wines are typically aged in stainless steel tanks. These wines have brighter fruit flavors. Soave that is aged in oak barrels tends to be rich with notable nutty flavor.

By the way, there is also a bubbly Soave Spumante version and a very sweet version, produced by drying the grapes slightly before fermentation, which is labelled as Recioto di Soave.

Soave wines are very affordable. So next time you see one, pick it up and give it a try! Cheers!