($15, EDV Esprit du Vin):   Often the line between DOC and DOCG — and IGT, for that matter — is blurred as far as quality is concerned.  Not this time.  For Prosecco that is a cut above the others, reach for the DOCG because it encompasses the original zone where the grapes are grown on less-fertile hillsides, which translates to better wine. … Read more

($10, EDV Esprit du Vin):  There is a lot of inexpensive Prosecco on the market, most of it giving the category a bad name.  Not this one.  Tasted side-by-side with Valdo’s stable mate release from the Veneto’s prime region, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG (also reviewed this week), it pales in comparison. … Read more

($29, Vinifera Imports):  Prà, like Pieropan, is a benchmark producer of Soave Classico.  The Prà name on a label is as good a guarantee of quality as you can get.  Their flagship Soave Classico bottling is from the well-regarded and well-situated Monte Grande vineyard.  … Read more

($26):   Pieropan is undoubtedly one of great names in Soave.  They have been instrumental in resurrecting the prestige of the area with their consistent production of stellar wines, from their “regular” (though none of their wines are “regular”) Soave Classico to their single vineyard bottlings, such as this one. … Read more

($17):  Prosecco has gained so much popularity worldwide that its name has replaced the word Champagne as the generic term for all sparkling wine. Sadly, much Prosecco is mass-produced and uninteresting.  Typically, the path to finding a more distinctive Prosecco takes the consumer to a difficult to pronounce DOCG, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. … Read more

($85, Kermit Lynch):  Valpolicella originally was an inexpensive delightfully light red wine, not an “important” or prestigious one.  Over the last several decades, many producers have ramped it up by performing a “ripasso,” adding either dried grapes or the leftover must from another fermentation to the fresh pressed juice, which increased the alcohol content and the overall weight of the finished wine. … Read more

($16): Not a single-vineyard wine, San Michele is the name. Cà Rugate’s San Michele bottling is a blend from several of their vineyards located in the Soave Classico subregion, the best area for Soave production.  More fruity than mineraly, it blossoms with air, befitting a young wine. … Read more

($14): Nardello is one of the producers changing the image of Soave. A key to finding top quality Soave is to look for those, such as this one, that comes from the Classico subregion. Fortunately for consumers the price of Soave from these top producers has not caught up to the quality.… Read more

($20): Both the 2015 and 2016 are in some markets simultaneously.  They offer a superb example of the differences between the vintages, with 2015 being riper and 2016 being racier.  Hence, something for everyone.  Cà Rugate opts to use Garganaga exclusively from this 15-acre vineyard that sits about 600 feet above sea level. … Read more

($20): This wine ticks all the right boxes.  Cà Rugate is a top Soave producer. Monte Fiorentine, a single-vineyard bottling from their old vineyards with vines that are approximately 50 years old, according to Francesco Ganci, their Italian commercial direction, is their top Soave. … Read more

($30): Wines like this one will make Lugana a common name.  That Ottella could make a wine this polished in 2014, a “challenging” year, to say the least, shows the dedication of this producer.  It’s floral and elegant, with just the right understated hints of tropical fruit.… Read more

($22): Lugana, a small DOC just south of Lake Garda, is a treasure trove of well-priced white wines.  Le Morette’s single-vineyard Mandolara is just one example.  The grape, formerly thought to be Trebbiano di Soave (and sometimes still referred to that on labels), is Turbiano, a distinctly different variety as determined by DNA analysis. … Read more

($18): The Custoza DOC, formerly known as Bianco di Custoza, has suffered in the past from watered-down versions made by co-ops and other industrial-sized producers.  Cavalchina is trying to change the reputation and certainly will do so as more consumers taste their wines. … Read more