SAQ Alto Adige PDO 'Schiava' 2022, Alois Lageder

Follow this link for SAQ: https://www.saq.com/fr/14560121

Tyrol, you have a hold on us

This Schiava from Alois Lageder is a rarity. Recorded since the High Middle Ages, this grape variety with two names (vernatsch being the Germanic counterpart) nevertheless played a predominant role in the region's viticulture, with nearly 70% of the surface area planted until the 80s. Today, however, only less than 500 hectares of it are found planted, almost exclusively in Südtirol.

It is in this magnificent region that we have found the Lageder family for 200 years, with their 50 hectares under biodynamic cultivation. Pioneers in terms of renewable energy, sustainable practices, and social commitment, the family is today a flagship for this region, the northernmost in Italy, at the foot of the Alpine Dolomites.

And what about the Schiava in all this? Schiava wines generally yield light and accessible wines with pleasant tannins and acidity. Elegant, they will be easily accessible in their youth. This Schiava from the commune of Cortaccia will be no exception to the rule and will present itself elegantly at aperitif or at the table.

• To pair it with: a homemade pizza with some excellent Tyrolean speck!
• For the anecdote: Few grape varieties have as complex a linguistic history as Schiava. The Lombards (coming from the North) reportedly named the grape variety vineis sclavis (slave vine) and the name later transformed into vernatsch, a name very close to vernaccia…
• To better understand rare grape varieties: Get on the waiting list for the fall '24 grape variety happy hour on the subject!
• Once again, the SAQ will surprise us this week with a second Schiava from the Lageder estate, this one a single-parcel wine with some barrel aging. The 2022 Römigberg at $28 at the SAQ (14923746)