Soave Versus: A toast before the harvest!

Is there a better way to say goodbye to summer than enjoying a good glass of wine? At Pagus we know the answer very well and it is definitely a resounding NO! This is the reason why we have attended the wine event Soave Versus, a cultural exhibition dedicated to the most famous white wine from Verona. Soave Versus is a wonderful mix of traditional food, workshops, masterclasses and for sure great wines. Something you should never miss, if you are in Verona on the first weekend of September.

Soave Versus

Soave Versus is a wine event which takes place every year in Verona city centre. Last weekend Soave Versus celebrated its 19^th edition with a great turnout of wine lovers, wine experts and wine producers. Visitors could really enjoy a great selection of amazing wines since about 40 Soave wineries with more than 300 different labels attended the event. Moreover, this edition has been super exciting thanks to a great achievement Soave accomplished last year. In December 2018, after a 10-year-long path, the area became the first Italian agricultural world heritage site. The result? A great influence on wine tourism in the area. The beautiful pergola veronese, the appassimento (drying process) technique for the Recioto and the typical dry walls, make this region a must see for every wine lover who visits Verona. The link between Soave, its wines and tourism, was therefore one of the main topics debated during the event.

Wine, Food and Culture

Nevertheless, tourism was not the only focus of the entire event. The paring wine and food played indeed a great role throughout the three days. Soave is a very versatile wine, which can be perfect for the aperitivo as well as for dessert, according to the different production methods. This year Soave Versus hosted renowned Italian chefs, as well as Veronese restaurants’ owners, and typical food shops. The result has been a great combination of show cooking, food pairing and wine tasting. Some examples? The pairing oisters and Soave classico and the sweet wine Recioto paired with the local cake Reciotina or the Italian blue cheese Gorgonzola. Another key role was played by the masterclass on Soave and its terroir, which introduced visitors not just to its wines but also to the soil and the land it comes from. Last but not least, on Saturday night the presentation of the 1913 historical Aida added a magical touch to the entire wine event.

What's next?

For wine producers, this is a great opportunity to meet final customers and wine lovers just before the busiest time of the year: the harvest. It is also a great opportunity to let journalists and wine experts taste their products, to get awards and receive feedbacks on their work. Now that it is over, it is time to get ready for the harvest. 2019 seems to be a good vintage, in spite of the cold May we had this year. The harvest of the Garganega (the main grape used in the Soave production) is starting in a couple of weeks and we wish good luck to all the winemakers! Would you like to visit a winery in the countryside during harvest time? Then have a look at our tours a Taste of Soave, Soave and Amarone and Soave, lunch and Amarone. We wait for you!