The Alois Lageder (luh GAY duhr) family has been making wine in the Alto Adige region for six generations, the name Alois handed down to the eldest son in each successive generation. Today the estate is run by three siblings, two of which are women, in the Disney-esque setting of Northern Italy's Alto Adige.
Fervently dedicated to sustainability and bio-dynamic principles, and with a mantra of "constant experimentation", they are perfectly positioned for today's global market.
One of the many varietals on their land in Sudtirol is this Vernatch-Schiava. The hyphenated name gives us a clue to the culture in this region, which was part of Austria until WWII, when it became part of Italy in a move that sharply divided opinions in this region.
With a culture that is more Austrian than Italian, it is not uncommon for Sudtirolians to speak German as their first language, and to speak Italian with an accent other Italians can barely understand.
This bi-cultural area prints menus and signs in both German and Italian, and apparently, labels their wines the same way - Austrians call this grape "Vernatsch", Italians call it Schiava (and Germans call it Trollinger! but I digress).
As the Bard once said... "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", and whatever grape name appears on the label, know that the wine behind it will show a spicy freshness with light, soft tannins and a moderate alcohol content. Perfect for today's palate!
Serve this red wine lightly chilled with cream sauce pastas, poultry, ham, roasted squash and truffle or mushroom-based dishes.
