The grape of Soave, and the reason that name once stood for cheap Italian white and now, in the right hands, for one of the country's most underrated fine wines. Garganega is late-ripening and generous by nature; curb its yields on the volcanic hills of Soave Classico and it gives a wine of white peach, almond and a faint bitter twist, with a texture and ageing capacity few expect.
It dries superbly, giving the honeyed Recioto di Soave, and it is a genetic linchpin of Italian white varieties, a documented parent of several others. Long dismissed by association with the flatlands' bulk wine, Garganega at altitude is quietly reclaiming its reputation.