Suavia

Suavia is, without exception, one of the leaders in quality and terroir expression in Soave Classico, a small, hilly zone to the east of Lake Garda. Their vineyards are located in the center of the zone where elevations of roughly 1,000 feet and ancient, volcanic soils yield wines of structure and character. These sites have produced the two grapes native to the zone; Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave, for centuries. Indeed, the name Suavia harkens back to the Svevia, a Germanic tribe that settled in this part of northeastern Italy after the fall of the western Roman Empire.

The Tessari family has been growing grapes here since the 1800’s but it wasn’t until the early 1980’s that the family redefined what growing quality grapes could be; tying clonal selection to site-specific areas. Rigorous research into the two white varieties resulted in mono-varietal examples of each, both grown on pure extrusive basaltic soil. Garnega from this area is known to generate white wines that, in youth, have pure aromas of ripe fruit, hay, a flecked with floral and minerality notes. As they age, delicacy and complexity take center stage. Trebbiano di Soave is historically linked to the Veneto, bound genetically to the older variety Turbiana. Wines from Trebbiano di Soave offer significant acidity and sapidity, making them a suitable partner for Garganega.

In 1982 Giovanni and Rosetta Tessari began crushing grapes and producing their own wine. Eight years later the couple built a modern and efficient winery underneath the building that has been the Tessari family home since 1887. This facility was designed specifically to produce white wine with the most advanced technology available. Their daughters, Meri, Valentina, and Alessandra, now run the Estate, focused on using their state-of-the art facility to express the nuances of their native terroir.