03/05/2017

The native land and the Soave Classico

What is volcanic soil?
It is simply the native land, the primordial land that derives directly from the hot and glowing mantle underneath the Earth’s crust. Over time, volcanic soil modifies, giving origin to other soils. Therefore, volcanic earth could be considered as the «mother» of all other soils.
Even today, active volcanoes erupt large amounts of lava. However, volcanic soil covers only one percent of the Earth’s surface. This surface in Italy corresponds to four to five percent of the national territory.
But why is the volcanic soil so special?
They offer minerals in their native form, that give to the plants a specific composition. In the case of the grapevine, they influence greatly the flavor of the wine, which develop a mineral or floral note and over time that becomes typical.
The ancients Romans were aware of this phenomenon, and chose the white wine produced on the volcanic soils as the reference wine for goodness.
In the Central-South part of Italy, the volcanic soil is much present, for instance, in the areas around Rome and Naples, in the northern part of Lazio region, in Sicily (in the Etna and Mounts Iblei area), in the small islands in the South, and in the Vulture area in Basilicata.
But in the northern part of Italy, volcanic areas are almost absent — except for the Soave Classico area and other small territories.
That’s why the ancient Romans, when they arrived in the Northern Italy, first planted their vines in the area that would become Soave Classico.
So we own an extraordinary heritage and ancestral history and culture. But above all, we have the unique flavors and inimitable aromas that this wine still retains.

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