RedLead grape in 1
Schiava
Also called Vernatsch.
The traditional light red of Alto Adige, called Vernatsch in German, grown on pergolas around Bolzano and Lake Caldaro. Pale, low in tannin, with strawberry, almond and a faint violet perfume, and best served cool. It is the wine the region drank with speck long before it planted Pinot Grigio for export.
Worth knowing
It has been in steep decline for fifty years, pulled up in favour of varieties that sell for more. What is left is often the oldest vineyard material in the region, on pergolas that cannot be mechanised, which means the surviving wine is better than the average was when there was ten times as much of it.
Where it is allowed5 appellations