Schiava: the grape that almost died - tasting Alto Adige's comeback story

Schiava was once 80% of Alto Adige wine production. By the 1990s, it was being grubbed up as 'too light for serious wine,' replaced by Pinot Grigio and Cabernet. Now the natural wine movement has rediscovered it — a light, floral, low-tannin red perfect for chilling. This is the story of a grape's near-extinction and its unlikely renaissance, told through a tasting.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Taste the Grape That Was 80% of Everything Wine · Price: moderate

   Until the 1970s, Schiava (Vernatsch in German) was 80% of all Alto Adige wine production. It was THE grape of South Tyrol — every farmer grew it, every family drank it, every tavern poured it. Then international varieties arrived. Critics called Schiava 'too light, too simple, not serious.' Producers grubbed up vines to plant Pinot Grigio, Cabernet, Chardonnay. Schiava acreage plummeted. At any enoteca or wine bar in Bolzano's old town (Batzen Bräu at Andreas-Hofer-Straße 30, Vini del Piave in the Laubengasse arcade, or Kellerei Bozen tasting room at Via San Maurizio 36), order a glass of Schiava (€4-7). Hold it to the light — notice how transparent it is. You can read through this wine. Taste it: strawberry, violet, a hint of cotton candy and almond. Low tannin, 11-12% alcohol. THIS lightness is what critics dismissed as a fault. Now taste it like a sommelier: the freshness, the drinkability, the way it doesn't fight food but lifts it.

   Backup: If you can't find Schiava by the glass, any wine shop will have bottles for €6-10. Buy one and taste at your accommodation.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Learn Why the 1990s Almost Killed It History · Free

   In the 1990s, the global wine market rewarded big, dark, extracted reds. Parker scores drove everything. Schiava — translucent, light, gentle — was the opposite of what judges wanted. EU subsidies actually PAID farmers to rip out vines and replant with international varieties. Alto Adige's Schiava plantings dropped from over 3,000 hectares to under 1,500. Half the grape's history was bulldozed in one generation. If you're walking through Bolzano's vineyard areas (Gries district or Santa Maddalena hillside), look at the vine rows. The older, gnarled, low-trained vines are likely Schiava survivors — their trunks are thick and twisted. The newer, neatly trellised rows are often the international replacements. Ask at any wine shop or enoteca: 'What percentage of production is Schiava now compared to 30 years ago?' The decline numbers shock people.

   Backup: If you can't visit vineyards, the Consortium of Alto Adige Wine website (altoadigewines.com) has grape variety statistics showing the decline. Or simply ask your bartender — most older wine professionals remember watching the vines get pulled.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Taste the Revival — Old-Vine Schiava From the New Generation Wine · Price: moderate

   A new generation of winemakers is reclaiming old-vine Schiava from steep hillside vineyards, slashing yields, and producing elegant wines that critics compare to Pinot Noir. These aren't the bulk Schiava that was dismissed — they're single-vineyard, hand-harvested, site-specific. The natural wine movement embraced Schiava for exactly the qualities the 1990s rejected: lightness, transparency, drinkability. At Alois Lageder tasting room (Tenuta Castel Ringberg, Vicolo dei Conti 9, Magè/Margreid, 30 min south of Bolzano), Kellerei Kurtatsch (Strada del Vino 23, Cortaccia), or any enoteca with a curated Alto Adige section, ask for an 'old-vine Schiava' or 'Vernatsch from steep slopes.' Compare it to the basic Schiava from step 1. The old-vine version will have more concentration, more mineral grip, and a longer finish — proof that the grape was never the problem, the farming was. The price difference (€5 basic vs €10-15 old-vine) tells you what quality investment does.

   Backup: If you can't visit a specific producer, buy two bottles of Schiava at different price points from any wine shop. A €7 bottle and a €15 bottle will teach you the revival story in two sips.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Discover the Three Schiava Subvarieties Wine · Free · Optional

   Schiava isn't one grape — it's a family. Schiava Grossa (Trollinger in Germany) is the most planted, giving light, fruity wines. Schiava Gentile is smaller-berried, more concentrated and elegant. Schiava Grigia has grey-skinned berries and adds spicy, floral complexity. When blended, they create St. Magdalener DOC. Most people drink Schiava their whole life without knowing there are three. At any well-stocked wine shop or enoteca (Wine & Beverages Rabanser in Ortisei at Streda Arnaria 41, 1,700+ labels, or any Bolzano wine shop), ask the shop owner: 'Do you have wines from different Schiava varieties — Grossa, Gentile, and Grigia?' Most shops won't have all three separately, but the question starts a conversation about Schiava's hidden complexity. If they have a St. Magdalener, ask: 'Which Schiava varieties are in this blend?' The answer reveals that even the 'simple local red' is actually a sophisticated multi-variety wine.

   Backup: If nobody can explain the three varieties, look at the label fine print. Italian law requires the variety name — you'll see 'Schiava' or 'Vernatsch' but sometimes 'Schiava Grossa' or 'Schiava Gentile' for single-variety bottlings.

   Log Memory