Volcanic soils: fertile, complex, unique

The common thread: volcanic soils

Complexity and longevity are undoubtedly the main characteristics of the products of the four protected designations of origin Soave, Lessini Durello, Santorini and Monte Veronese. The wines, although all produced from different grape varieties, shine with an extraordinary intensity. They are long-lasting and concentrated, but not oppressive, and have a very good ageing potential due to the special characteristics of the volcanic soil.

Soils of volcanic origin are among the most valuable and fascinating that man has exploited for agricultural products. The ash spread by volcanoes during their eruptions and the lava that weathers over time into fertile soil rich in minerals are what make agricultural products so special today.

The different terroirs, one and a half thousand kilometres apart, have common prerequisites for quality based on similar climatic and geological characteristics and in terms of the orientation and altitude of the sites. These characteristic features are reflected in the products of these areas, in pronounced minerality, longevity and complex taste and aroma.

The President of the Soave Consortium Sandro Gini emphasises: "The aim of HEVA - Heroes of Europe Volcanic Agriculture - is to promote a culture of volcanic agriculture and to make consumers aware of the peculiarities and uniqueness of all the products produced in these terroirs, which are the result of the synergistic interaction between soil, human work and the passage of time".

The undeniable quality of wines and cheese products from volcanic soils is also the result of the skill and ingenuity of the farmers who produce them.

"In the area around Verona, man has played an important role as a careful shaper of the landscape since ancient times," says Alfonso Albi, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Monte Veronese PDO Cheese. "Here, farming is not intensive, but is done through skilful interventions that allow a more useful redistribution of mineral components to the plants, providing them with an ideal environment to thrive."

The hilly areas above Verona are particularly suitable as pasture land, which is why important cheese production developed here in the past. Since 1996, the cow's milk cheese that comes from here has borne the protected designation of origin "Monte Veronese". Monte Veronese is produced exclusively from two types of cow's milk: "latte intero" (whole milk) and "d'allevo" (semi-skimmed milk). The variety produced from semi-skimmed milk ("Monte Veronese d'allevo") is now part of Slow Food's protection and promotion programme.

The Greek volcanic island of Santorini is also a good example of how the harmony between man and nature has made it possible to produce excellent wines even in such a harsh terrain.

While the winemakers have chosen to grow the vines in low, basket-shaped canopies close to the ground to protect them from strong winds, nature has done its part through nightly fog from the sea. The mist, together with the north winds, brings cooling to the vines on hot summer nights, creating excellent growing conditions for the production of elegant wines.

The vineyards on Santorini have some of the oldest vine stocks in the world, as phylloxera does not feel at home in the very sandy, clay-poor soil. On a total of 1,200 hectares, mainly the white grape varieties Assyrtiko, Athiri and Aidani grow here, which are vinified dry as well as being made into Vinsanto, the traditional dessert wine from sun-dried grapes.