Wines from Suavia

History

The Tessari family has lived and farmed in Fittà, a small village in the Soave Classico hills, since the nineteenth century. For a long time the grapes grown here went to others. In 1982 Giovanni and Rosetta Tessari decided to work for themselves: they crushed their own grapes and made their own wine, convinced of how much their corner of Soave could offer.

The name Suavia is the old name of Soave, from the time when the medieval castle that still watches over the town was first built. Choosing it tied the new winery to the place rather than to a family surname.

The land and the vineyards

The estate farms 30 hectares, all of them inside the Classico zone of the Soave appellation. The vines climb volcanic hills up to about 340 metres, where the air is cooler than on the plain below, the difference between day and night temperatures is wide, and the sun shines for many hours.

The soil comes from undersea volcanic activity in the middle Eocene, some 50 million years ago, and carries iron, magnesium and manganese deep in the ground. At Monte Carbonare the family speaks of black earth, pure volcano. Only the two native white grapes of Soave are planted: Garganega, which ripens late and is picked well into October, and Trebbiano di Soave, replanted on 2.5 hectares at Fittà in a project with the University of Milan. Some vines were planted by the founders' grandfathers and are over 70 years old.

The wines

The range starts with the Soave Classico DOC and the Monte Carbonare Soave Classico DOC, both pure Garganega. Massifitti is a Bianco Veronese IGT made entirely from Trebbiano di Soave, and Opera Semplice is a traditional method sparkling wine from the same grape, bottled with zero dosage.

Garganega also goes into the sweet side of the cellar, with two Recioto di Soave DOCG wines, Le Rive and Acinatium. A series called I Luoghi, with Fittà, Castellaro and Tremenalto, presents Garganega from three vineyards on volcanic soils of different origins.

Today

Giovanni and Rosetta's three daughters, Meri, Valentina and Alessandra, now run Suavia from the same village where it began. Valentina is an enologist, and so is her husband. The winery sits at Fittà, in the Soave municipality in the province of Verona, and keeps its focus on two grapes, one appellation and the volcanic hills around it.

Founded

1982

Area

Fittu00e0, Soave Classico (Verona)

Vineyards

30 hectares

Main grapes

Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave

Owners

Tessari family (Meri, Valentina, Alessandra)