Garganega is a productive white grape variety from northern Italy, primarily responsible for Soave, whose notoriously variable quality depends on yields being kept in check.
Garganega at its finest makes refreshingly dry wines with delicate blossom and citrus aromas accompanied by flavours of ripe pear, apricots, and fresh herbs with a savoury finish. It may be unoaked with a steely, mineral character or oaked in a richer, more opulent style. When produced on flat, fertile soil in large volumes, Garganega quickly becomes thin and neutral in flavour. Garganega’s high acidity lends itself well to sweet wines, most famously Recioto di Soave, a vibrant burst of caramelised apple, honey and spice that is intense yet refreshing.
Garganega has a long history in the Veneto, especially Soave, although it is impossible to know whether it was responsible for the praise given to Soave wine by a writer in the 6th century BC. Garganega’s close genetic links to many other Italian varieties demonstrate its formative role in the country’s viticultural identity.
Garganega’s main home is the Veneto in northeast Italy. Although the grape is most prominently associated with Soave, it also plays an important role in other popular Veneto denominations such as Blanco di Custoza and Gambellara. Garganega’s other main Italian hub is at the very southern tip of the country in Sicily, where it is called Grecanico Dorato. Garganega’s international presence is almost entirely restricted to small-scale plantings in Australia.
Garganega was only confirmed in 2003 as genetically identical to Grecanico Dorato, a grape planted extensively in Sicily and widely considered by locals there as native to the island. How and when the same variety ended up at opposite ends of the country remains unclear.
- Pieropan, Soave
- Inama, Soave
This grape variety is also known by the name of:
Dorana di Venetia, Garganega Biforcuta, Garganega piramidale, Garganega Grosso, Garganega Comune, Garganega di Gambellara, Garganegra, Garganega rossa, Garganega Veronese, Garganega Frastagliata, D'Oro, Garganega Bianca, Garaganega Gentile, Grecanico, Grecanico Dorato, Ora, Oro, Ostesona, Ostesa
