The Scolca
At the foot of the Apennines – and the name Piedmont means nothing else – is the La Scolca winery, which is rightly the oldest and most famous winery in the Gavi region. La Scolca – Gavi wine. Since 1919, the winemakers of La Scolca were the first to create a pure white wine from the Cortese grape under the name Gavi. They improved the quality through careful aging and crowned their success in 1966 with the creation of the famous Gavi dei Gavi “Etichetta Nera”, with which Vittorio Soldati made himself and the La Scolca winery popular internationally.
Gavi DOCG wines from La Scolca
Gavi wine and the La Scolca winery are inextricably linked. As pioneers of the Gavi region, the meteoric rise of Gavi wine is based on the Soldati family, whose grandfather bought wheat-growing land in Rovereto one hundred years ago. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that only red grape varieties could be grown here, the Cortese grape was cultivated. Since 1950, Gavi from the Cortese grape has celebrated sensational successes, which were rewarded with DOCG status in 1998.
Already in 1993, the La Scolca winery founded the Tutela del Gavi consortium to protect and promote the reputation of Gavi di Gavi wine. Today, numerous Gavi winemakers are part of the consortium – further proof of the foresight of Cantina La Scolca.
The language of labels
A white label says La Scolca wine is made from 20-year-old vines.
A black label means the wine comes from 60-year-old vines.
The Gavi DOCG appendix indicates that the wine meets the high quality requirements of the Tutela del Gavi and can therefore be officially marketed as a Gavi wine.
The La Scolca winery
The winery's watchtower also offers expansive views of the countryside. Around 50 hectares of Cortese vines – the Gavi wine grape – bask here from morning to night, enjoying the sea air. On rows up to 200 kilometers long, constant high quality begins, because La Scolca knows that the best wines come from the best grapes.
Up to 10 times a year, workers wander the vineyard, pruning, thinning, reducing the yield. If necessary, a green harvest takes place even before the fully ripe grapes enter the modern cellar. Characteristic, accessible and intense white wines are created there, which are then authorized to carry the addition Gavi DOCG on the label. The wines of Tenuta La Scolca are all fresh, fruity and elegant, but the Gavi dei Gavi stands out in particular.