Santa Maddalena or Sankt Maddalena DOC is the most intense red wine from the Alto Adige (‘Südtirol’) region of northern Italy. It is made made from the Schiava [Vernatsch] group of grape varieties cultivated on the celebrated and partly terraced Santa Maddalena hill northeast of the city of Bolzano (‘Bozen’). An optional 0-10% Lagrein and/or Pinot Nero may be blended in. 

Production zone: The Santa Maddalena production zone includes vineyard slopes on the municipal boundaries of Bolzano as well as parts of the communes of Cornedo and Renon. 

Wine style: ‘Schiava is a relatively pale-skinned and its high acidity gives the Sankt Magdalener a biting bitter cherry freshness,’ says Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyréne). Others find almondy flavours. The wine is colloquially referred to as the ‘Queen of Schiava.’

With food: ‘Santa Maddelena ‘goes well with the robust game dishes of the Alps. It was reported in the 19th century that it was the only wine capable of properly accompanying the succulent delicacy of bear’s paw’ says Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyréne).

Wineries

Organic certification: Ebnerhof.

No certification: Untermosenhof.

Bibliography

Burton Anderson, The Wine Atlas of Italy (Mitchell Beazley, London, 1990).

David Gleave, The Wines of Italy (Salamander Books, London, 1989).

Doug Wregg, Caves de Pyrene list July 2011

Dr Ian D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy (University of California Press, 2014).

Nicolas Belfrage MW, Life Beyond Lambrusco (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985). 

Nicolas Belfrage MW, From Barolo to Valpolicella—The Wines of Northern Italy (Faber & Faber, 1999).

Nicolas Belfrage MW, From Brunello to Zibibbo–The Wines of Tuscany, Central and Southern Italy (2nd edition, London, 2003).

Oxford Companion to Wine 4th edition ed. Jancis Robinson MW and Julia Harding MW (Oxford University Press, 2015).