Grape Variety: Schiava

Colour: Red

A red-wine grape thought to be native to Italy’s Alto-Adige region, where it’s extensively grown. It’s also widely cultivated in neighbouring Trentino. These regions are heavily populated with German-speaking citizens who call this grape Vernatsch.The variety is first mentioned under that name in fourteenth century documents, for example, Martin Luther drank it according to a report of the papal legate Alexander around 1520. Not sure whether any meistersingers have written deathless folk songs about it. During Mussolini’s time, a commission was appointed to judge the country’s best wines and, in 1941, they placed Santa Maddalena in the front rank alongside Barolo and Barbaresco. Considering the high esteem that the latter two wines generally enjoy, and the relative obscurity of Santa Maddalena today, this represents a jarring change in taste. Schiava is a relatively pale-skinned grape and its high acidity gives the Sankt Magdalener a biting bitter cherry freshness.This variety generally produces light-coloured, fruity wines that are low in acidity, tannin and alcohol and should therefore be drunk young. There are several varieties of Schiava: Schiava Grossa (in German, Grossvernatsch), which is the most common; Schiava Grigia (or Grauvernatsch), which is more difficult to grow but produces better wines; and the low-yielding Schiava Gentile (also called Kleinvernatsch and Mitter¬vernatsch). Another clone called Tschaggel (or Tschaggelevernatsch) produces good wines but isn’t widely planted because it’s an inconsistent ripener. The best Schiava-based wines come from the DOCs Lago di Caldaro (Kalterersee, in German) and Santa Maddalena (or St. Magdalener). This variety is also cultivated in Germany’s Wurtemburg region where it’s called Trollinger.
Served Schiava-based wines chilled with a plate of chunky blood sausage.