Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne Soave Classico D.O.C.

Gini

Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne Soave Classico D.O.C.

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$45.00 $60.00/L

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The Product in Brief:

✓ Vintage 2022 – Soave Classico D.O.C.

✓ 100% Garganega from vines up to 120 years old

✓ About three quarters of the vines grown on their own roots

✓ Contrada Salvarenza – Monteforte d’Alpone (VR), 150 m above sea level

✓ Vineyards managed under certified organic farming

✓ Manual harvest in late October in wooden crates

✓ Brief contact of the must with the skins

✓ Fermentation entirely in wood

✓ Ageing for several months in 228 L pièces and large casks, on its own natural lees + at least 6 months in bottle

✓ Deep, savoury and mineral, with great structure and longevity

✓ Wine for long ageing

✓ Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Scheda Produttore PDF

Time kept in the vineyards. Contrada Salvarenza Vecchie Vigne Soave Classico D.O.C. is one of the deepest expressions of Garganega and of the history of the Gini family at Monteforte d’Alpone. The cru covers around 5 hectares at 150 metres of altitude and holds an exceptional viticultural heritage: vines that reach 120 years of age, largely ungrafted, survivors of phylloxera and preserved by the family across the generations. Contrada Salvarenza thus becomes a summary of the Gini philosophy: time as an ingredient of the wine. The time of the old vines and of the roots that have been exploring these soils for over a century; the time of the generations that chose to keep them; the time of a late harvest running to the end of October; and finally the time of slow maturation in the cellar and of evolution in the bottle. From this heritage a Soave Classico of unusual concentration, complexity and longevity is born.

The Garganega vines, trained to the Veronese pergoletta, stand at a density of 4.000 plants per hectare and give, after selection, a yield of just 40 hl/ha. The exposure is south-east, while the soils show a marked volcanic vein with small tuff layers. They are managed under certified organic farming. At the end of October the grapes are selected and picked by hand into wooden crates. After a brief contact of the must with the skins, a gentle pressing follows and the must is chilled at once. Fermentation takes place entirely in wood, using large casks and barrels of wood seasoned for at least three years: a choice that supports the Garganega without covering the character of the old vines. The wine then rests for several months in 228-litre pièces and in large casks, on its own natural lees. Ageing continues for at least six months in bottle, at ideal temperature and humidity in the striking Gini cellar carved into the rock. In the glass Contrada Salvarenza shows a bright green-gold. The nose is complex and deep: the mineral component meets sweet, enveloping fruit, yellow flowers and exotic fruit. On the palate it is dense, round and intense, with a firm savoury and mineral texture, hints of flint and clove, ripe pear and yellow peach. The finish is clean and persistent. A Soave of great structure and depth, able to evolve over a long time.

The name too holds a story. Legend has it that in this very place a young woman named Renza, threatened by brigands, was saved by a noble knight. From “Salva Renza” the name Salvarenza is said to have been born, today tied to one of the historic crus of Monteforte d’Alpone.

Product Sheet:

Appellation: Soave Classico D.O.C.

Vintage: 2022.

Grape variety: Garganega 100%.

Production area: Contrada Salvarenza – Monteforte d’Alpone, Soave Classico, Veneto.

Altitude: About 150 m above sea level.

Vineyard: Old Garganega vines, with about three quarters of the plants ungrafted and more than 100 years old.

Soils: Soils of calcareous origin with layers marked by the presence of tuff.

Farming: Vineyards under certified organic cultivation.

Harvest: Manual picking at the end of October, with the grapes laid in wooden crates.

Tasting notes: Bright green-gold colour, intense and luminous. On the nose it is complex, deep and mineral, with sweet, enveloping fruit, yellow flowers and exotic fruit. On the palate it is rich, savoury and markedly mineral, with hints of flint and clove, ripe pear and yellow peach. Dense, round and intense, it keeps precision and balance and stretches into a clean, persistent finish. A Soave of great structure and complexity, destined for a long evolution over time.

Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Vinification: Selection and hand-picking of the grapes into wooden crates. Brief contact of the must with the skins, gentle pressing and immediate chilling of the must. Fermentation carried out entirely in wood. Large casks and barrels of wood seasoned for at least 3 years are used.

Ageing: The wine rests for several months in 228 L pièces and in large casks, on its own natural lees, then ages in bottle for at least six months. All at ideal temperature and humidity, in the cellar carved into the rock.

Food pairings: Its savouriness and freshness make it particularly suited to shellfish. Its structure also allows pairings with intense preparations and spiced dishes, able to bring out the character and complexity of the wine.

Ageing potential: A wine for long cellaring. The old vines, the structure, the freshness and the mineral component support an evolution that gains further depth and complexity over time.

Production philosophy: Contrada Salvarenza stands for the value of time as Gini understands it: vines over a hundred years old preserved across the generations, largely ungrafted, certified organic farming, hand-picking and long ageing. A viticultural heritage kept so that Garganega and the land of Monteforte d’Alpone may express themselves in their deepest form.

From the volcanic soils of Soave to the limestone hills of the Berici, a journey between Verona and Vicenza to discover two territories that reveal different yet complementary expressions of Veneto wine.

East of Verona, Soave stretches across the hills that rise from the plain towards the Lessini Mountains. Further east, in the province of Vicenza, the Colli Berici emerge as a distinctive hilly landscape with a strong geological and natural identity. Two different territories, united by an ancient winemaking history and a relationship with the land that still shapes the character of their wines today. Here, the vine is not simply a crop. It is part of the landscape, the history of local families and the identity of the villages. Vine rows, dry-stone walls, rural courtyards, villas, castles and small villages tell the story of an agricultural civilisation built over centuries, in which wine has become one of the most authentic ways of interpreting the territory.

Soave: the land of volcanoes and Garganega

Soave is one of Italy's historic wine regions. Its heart lies in the eastern hills of the province of Verona, around the towns of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, where vineyards cover slopes and ridges shaped by an extraordinarily complex geological history. The medieval village of Soave, dominated by its castle and still enclosed within its ancient walls, is the best-known image of this territory. But to truly understand its wines, you need to climb into the hills, following roads that wind through vineyards, contrade and small rural settlements as far as Monteforte d'Alpone.

It is here that one of Soave's most fascinating features emerges: its volcanic origin. Millions of years ago, this part of Veneto was shaped by intense volcanic activity. Basalt, lava rock and tuff still emerge today across many of the eastern hills of the appellation, alternating with areas of limestone. This geological diversity is reflected directly in the wines, creating different expressions even within a short distance of one another.

On these soils, Garganega has found its natural habitat over the centuries. An ancient grape variety deeply rooted in the Veronese territory, Garganega has a remarkable ability to interpret the place where it grows. In the finest hillside vineyards of Soave, it combines ripe fruit, freshness, tension and a savoury, mineral character that becomes increasingly evident with time. Alongside Garganega grows Trebbiano di Soave, a historic presence capable of adding freshness and precision to the wines.

Soave Classico identifies the historic heart of the appellation, on the hills of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone. It is a landscape shaped over time, where vineyards often grow on steep slopes and human cultivation has followed the natural contours of the hills rather than altering them. Here, altitude, exposure, ventilation and soil composition change from one contrada to another. It is precisely this fragmentation that makes Soave such a remarkably diverse territory: not a single wine, but many interpretations of Garganega and the Veronese hills.

In younger wines, freshness, flowers, fruit and immediacy prevail. In Soave from the finest vineyards and allowed to evolve, time reveals a deeper dimension: notes of herbs, ripe citrus, yellow fruit, stone and mineral nuances come together in wines capable of developing complexity even after several years. Perhaps time itself is one of the best ways to understand great Soave: wines that may appear delicate in their youth can reveal surprising depth and longevity as they evolve.

Colli Berici: stone, sunshine and great red wines

Leaving the Verona area and moving towards Vicenza, the landscape changes. The Colli Berici rise from the Vicenza plain like an island of hills. Their contours are gentler, the climate is generally warmer, and Mediterranean vegetation grows alongside woods, olive groves and vineyards. Venetian villas, small villages and ancient rural courtyards bear witness to a history in which agriculture and culture have shaped the landscape together.

Here too, geology plays a fundamental role in defining the identity of the wines. The Colli Berici are predominantly limestone and sedimentary in origin, formed from ancient seabeds, with traces of volcanic activity in certain areas. Limestone rock, clay and stony soils create particularly favourable conditions for vines, while the exposure of the hills and relatively mild climate allow the grapes to ripen fully and evenly.

If Soave finds its most distinctive voice in Garganega, the Colli Berici show a particular vocation for red wines. The symbolic grape variety is Tai Rosso, historically rooted especially in the area around Barbarano and the southern Berici. It is capable of producing fragrant, spicy and highly drinkable wines, where red fruit is often accompanied by Mediterranean herbs and a delicately savoury character.

Alongside Tai Rosso, the Colli Berici have shown a particular affinity over time with varieties such as Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The climate, exposures and limestone-clay soils allow these grapes to achieve full ripeness while maintaining balance, producing wines capable of combining structure, elegance and longevity. Carmenère, long mistaken for Cabernet Franc in local vineyards, has also found one of its most interesting Italian expressions in the Colli Berici.

Two territories, two ways of expressing Veneto

Soave and the Colli Berici are separated by just a few kilometres of plain, yet they reveal two profoundly different expressions of Veneto viticulture. In Soave, Garganega, ancient volcanic soils, altitude and the tension of great white wines dominate. In the Colli Berici, the landscape becomes warmer and more Mediterranean, limestone plays a central role, and it is above all the red wines that find depth and character.

On one side are the hills of Monteforte d'Alpone and Soave, with their contrade and vineyards rooted in ancient volcanic rock. On the other are the hills of Vicenza, where limestone, clay, woods and vineyards overlook the surrounding plain. What unites them is an ancient agricultural culture, built on families, vineyards handed down through generations, observation of the seasons and an intimate knowledge of individual plots.

Today, these territories are experiencing a new chapter. More and more producers are bringing vineyards, biodiversity, soil identity and the distinctive character of individual areas back to the centre of their work, seeking not only quality in their wines but an increasingly precise relationship with the place they come from. Because the deepest value of these territories lies not simply in their ability to produce great wines. It lies in the possibility of recognising, in a glass, the very hill from which that wine comes.

The basalt and Garganega of Soave. The limestone, sunshine and red wines of the Colli Berici. Two landscapes, two identities, two different ways of expressing through wine the extraordinary diversity of Veneto.

There are wineries that have helped write the history of Italian wine, and others that have been living that history for centuries. Ginibelongs to this second category. In Monteforte d'Alpone, in the heart of Soave Classico, the family has been cultivating vines since at least 1570, spanning fifteen generations without ever breaking their bond with the land. A journey of over four centuries that not only tells the story of a continuous surname but also the extraordinary ability to preserve a heritage made of vineyards, knowledge, and sensibility, handed down from father to son to the present day. The symbolic date chosen by the family is January 22, 1570, the wedding day of Giobatta, son of Antonio Gini. From that moment, one of the oldest winemaking stories in Veneto began to take shape. Over the centuries, the family has experienced wars, social changes, and evolutions in viticulture, remaining faithful to their territory and a deep conviction: wine cannot be built, but only accompanied with respect, experience, and patience. This philosophy finds its maximum expression in the concept that has always guided the Gini family's work: time. The time needed for a vine to slowly sink its roots into the volcanic rock, the time of the seasons that mark the life of the vineyard, the time of waiting during aging, and the time of evolution in the bottle.

For Gini, time is not simply a measure, but the first ingredient of every great wine. It is on the hills of Monteforte d'Alponethat the historical soul of the company was born. In the heart of Soave Classico, the ancient Garganega vines sink their roots into volcanic soils, rich in basalt, tuff, and limestone veins formed millions of years ago. From this extraordinary geological heritage, great white wines for aging are born, capable of evolving slowly while maintaining acidity, freshness, and a distinct mineral imprint. The longevity of the vines, the complexity of the soils, and the variety of microclimates define the vocation of a unique terroir, capable of producing Soave of depth, elegance, and surprising evolutionary capacity. Among the most precious assets preserved by the family are the old Garganega vines, some over a century old, many still pre-phylloxera and ungrafted. In an era when renewing vineyards was the simplest choice, Gini decided not to uproot its historic vines, preserving a genetic and clonal richness that is practically unique in the Soave landscape. The roots penetrate deeply into the volcanic rock, reaching water and mineral salts even in the most difficult vintages. It is precisely this radical depth that contributes to the sapidity, complexity, and longevity that distinguish the family's wines.

For Gini, nature has never been something to dominate, but a reality to observe and listen to. The company manages its vineyards according to the principles of certified organic farming, respecting the natural rhythms of the plant and even paying attention to lunar phases. Green manure, grassing, protection of woods and trees surrounding the vineyards, preservation of soil fertility, and safeguarding biodiversity are practices adopted long before they became central themes in contemporary viticulture. In the Contrada Salvarenzacru, ecosystem studies have identified over two hundred insect species, testifying to the vitality of a healthy and harmonious agricultural environment. In the 1980s, brothers Sandro and Claudio Ginibrought a new turning point to the company's history. Sandro delved into the world of indigenous yeasts, discovering extraordinary microbiological biodiversity in the cellar and eventually eliminating sulfur dioxide during grape vinification to preserve its purity. This pioneering choice anticipated many of the themes that would mark enology in the following decades. Claudio, on the other hand, consolidated an agronomic vision linked to organic and biodynamic viticulture, strengthening the relationship between natural balance, grape quality, and wine identity.

The pursuit of the highest expression of Soave Classico led the family to enhance two vineyards that would become authentic benchmarks of the appellation: La Froscà, established in 1985, and Contrada Salvarenza, introduced in 1989. Each cru tells a different personality, shaped by the geology, exposure, altitude, and microclimates of Monteforte d'Alpone. The grapes are interpreted without forcing, allowing the harvest and the vineyard to guide decisions in the cellar. This is how Soave Classico wines are born that do not chase immediacy, but find their best ally in time, growing in minerality, depth, and complexity. The search for authenticity did not stop at the hills of Soave Classico. Among the reliefs of eastern Alta Valpolicella, the Gini family created one of its most ambitious projects: Tenuta Scajari. Among the hills of Campiano, in the municipality of Cazzano di Tramigna, at altitudes between 400 and 600 meters, a landscape of rare beauty unfolds, where woods, cherry trees, olive groves, and vineyards coexist in a still-intact natural balance.

The name Scajariderives from the dialect word scaja, used to indicate the small yellowish-reddish limestone flakes originating from the slow disintegration of the stratified rock of the subsoil. Tenuta Scajari represents the desire to establish an even deeper connection with nature: a small earthly paradise where constant ventilation, excellent sun exposure, significant temperature excursions, and the richness of calcareous, stony, and clayey soils, enriched with volcanic components, allow for the production of dynamic, elegant wines with intense mineral complexity. Since 1987, an important environmental recovery project has restored the ancient beauty of the Campiano lands, preserving the natural characteristics of the landscape and the vitality of the ecosystem. This work gives rise to the High Altitude Pearls: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon cultivated in high-altitude vineyards, where the cool climate and temperature excursions favor slow maturation, aromatic precision, and surprising evolutionary capacity. These are wines that reveal a lesser-known side of Veronese viticulture, where altitude becomes an extraordinary ally of elegance and longevity.

In eastern Alta Valpolicella, the great red wines of Tenuta Scajari also take shape. Constant ventilation keeps the grapes healthy and accompanies a natural drying process in the fruit cellar, without forcing. This results in Amarone della Valpolicellaand Valpolicella Superiorewines capable of combining structure, freshness, aromatic intensity, and mineral depth, interpreting the territory with a measured style far from excesses. The same culture of waiting accompanies the elegant Metodo Classicoand the precious Gocce Nobili. In sparkling wines, patience and daily care transform time on the lees into finesse and harmony; in Recioto, the drying process concentrates aromas and sweetness, giving life to an enveloping wine capable of narrating the value of rare things. From Ancestral Method Reciototo great aging white wines, time continues to be the invisible thread that unites every expression of the winery.

For fifteen generations, the Gini family has demonstrated that time is the most precious interpreter of wine. From the historic vineyards of Soave Classico to the pristine landscapes of Tenuta Scajari, every bottle is born from the encounter between nature, experience, and a patience that only great winemaking families know how to preserve. From Soave Classicoto eastern Alta Valpolicella, Gini continues to interpret wine with the same philosophy that has accompanied the family since 1570. The great Soave wines, the historic crus Contrada Salvarenzaand La Froscà, the Amarone and Valpolicella wines of Tenuta Scajari, the High Altitude Pearls, the Metodo Classico, and the precious Reciototell a unique story of territory, biodiversity, and time. It is this extraordinary consistency, preserved through fifteen generations, that makes Gini one of the most authentic and authoritative expressions of Italian viticulture.