From the farthest northern vineyards in Italy, Alto Adige/Sudtirol, a region that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I and where German is still the dominant language, we have a red grape thought to be indigenous to the region but which has at the very least been provably grown in the region since the 13th Century. As is the case with many Italian regions and grapes, the reputation of the naturally productive Schiava (AKA Vernatsch or Trollinger) grape began to suffer in the post war era when industrial farming and lax rules governing yields produced excessively light and characterless wines, but the grape’s reputation has been revived by the current generation’s focus on quality and pride in their indigenous grapes. In the village of Niklas the husband and wife team of Dieter and Eva Sölva, with the assistance of their three sons, sustainably farm old vines grown using the traditional pergola method in mixed clay and calcareous pebble soils. The wine is vinified and aged in stainless steel tanks, to give a classic representation of Schiava with roses, raspberries, exotic spice and a citrus-tinged acidity. The moderate tannins suit this wine to charcuterie, pizza, pasta and white meats. Enjoy this at cellar temperature or even well below.