Recioto di Soave, produced in the Soave area, was the first wine in the Veneto Region to obtain the D.O.C.G. designation in 1998.
The existence of a sweet white wine similar to Recioto di Soave in the Verona area was mentioned as early as the fifth century, when an eminent minister to King Theodoric ordered "white" Acinatico as well as "red" Acinatico for the guests at the royal table, made from grapes « selected from the home pergolas », with the hanging grapes preserved as late as winter.
The name Recioto comes from the word "recia", Veneto dialect for ear, which symbolises the characteristic shape of the upper section of a bunch of Garganega grapes, the part richest in sugar and exposed the longest to the sun, and which is selected to make the wine. The best bunches are dried on racks for a period ranging from 4 to 6 months before they are pressed. The fermentation that follows is very slow and long, and takes place in small barrels.
D.O.C.G. wines are Recioto di Soave, Recioto di Soave classico - made in the area defined as "classica" - and
Recioto di Soave spumante.
Recioto di Soave is a bright golden yellow, with a greater or lesser intensity; its bouquet is fruity with hints of vanilla; it is sweet, velvety and smooth, full-bodied with possible hints of wood.
The Strada del Vino (Wine Road) itinerary weaves through wineries and places offering typical local products, churches and villas. Visitors can admire charming spots bursting of history, such as the ancient Juno Baths in Caldiero or the old manor house rising from the centre of Illasi, comprising a group of ancient aristocratic villas that are for the most part preserved. Not forgetting Soave, a medieval town surrounded by town walls which are still intact and climb up the towering hill where the Castle stands. The network of roads and the land division into centurie of the surrounding territory suggest how they were in Roman times.
