Does anyone remember drinking Soave in the 1980s? Everyone did – it was the Pinot Grigio of the day. It was mostly awful. The Winecroft featured white wine for September is also a Soave but a world away from the Soave drunk in 1980s winebars.
For over a century, the Pieropan family has revolutionized winemaking in the medieval village of Soave in the Veneto in north east Italy, becoming one of the most acclaimed Italian wine families. In 1971, Nino Pieropan made a bold experiment by bottling the 1971 vintage from the Calvarino vineyard (purchased by his grandfather in 1901) as a single vineyard Soave Classico. This was at a time when most Soave was being sold was in two litre bottles as jug wine. The name derives from the “Little Calvary” referring to the difficulties of working the land and the tortuously winding path to the bottom.
You can try the 2017 Pieropan Calvarino from the Winecroft club winelist or it can be found on the winelists of a number of great London restaurants including La Trompette, River Café and The Glass House.
