The red grape variety originates from Italy (South Tyrol). Around 160 synonyms attest to the vine's great age and wide distribution. The most important ones grouped alphabetically by country are Black Hamburg, Black Hamburgh, Garston Black Hamburgh, Hampton Court, Pope Hamburgh, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, Victoria, Victoria Hamburgh (England); Admiral, Egyptian, Egyptian, Bachtraube, Bammerer, Bilsenroth, Blauer Trollinger, Blauer Wingertshäuser, Bocksauge, Bocksbeutelrebe, Bommerer, Dachtraube, Gelbholziger Schwarzblauer Trollinger, Frankenthaler, Hammelshoden, Hammelsschelle, Hammelssohlen, Hudler, Huttler, Kreuzertraube, Lamper, Lampers, Lambert, Mohrendutte, Pfundtraube, Schwarzblauer Trollinger, Schwarzwelscher, Südtiroler Kurtraube, Trollinger, Zottelwälscher (Germany); Bruxelloise, Grand Noir, Gros Bleu, Gros Noir, Gros Plant Grand Noir, Raisin Bleu (France); Bresciana, Bressana, Schiavone, Schiavone di Merano Nera, Uva Meranese, Uva Nera d'Amburgo (Italy); Edelvernatsch, Großvernatsch, Meraner Kurtraube, Tschaggele, Vernatsch(South Tyrol).
The variety is the most important member of the heterogeneous name group Schiava. There is a parent-offspring relationship with the variety Schiava Gentile. Schiava Grossa must not be confused with the varieties Piccola Nera, Schiava Grigia or Schiava Lombarda despite seemingly indicating synonyms or morphological similarities. This probably very old variety has many direct descendants from natural crossings and from new breeding:
The medium (as Schiava Grossa in Italy) or late (as Trollinger in Germany) ripening vine is susceptible to both types of mildew and botrytis, but extremely resistant to frost. It produces fruity red wines with soft tannins and aromas of almond and violet similar to those from the other Schiava varieties. It is also produced as the Brussels grape, Merano spa grape or Black Hamburg at table grape. The variety is cultivated in Italy in the Trentino-Alto Adige region and under the name Bressana in Lombardy. There, it is permitted in numerous DOC wines together with other Schiava varieties. The Italian cultivation area totals 58 hectares with an extremely decreasing tendency (in 2000, it was still 1,259 hectares; possibly there were incorrect allocations in the past).
In Germany, it has been widespread as Trollinger or Blauer Trollinger for a very long time almost exclusively in the Württemberg growing region (98%). Known as the "house grape" since the 14th century, it produces the typical "Vierteleswein" of the Swabians and is also often produced as a light-pressed Weißherbst. According to a report by the papal legate Alexander, Martin Luther (1483-1546) allegedly fortified himself with this wine before his departure from the Diet of Worms, where he refused the papal demand to recant his writings in 1521. A total of 2,172 hectares of vines were reported here in 2019 (D-STATIS). Small stands also exist in Australia (0.3 ha), England, Japan and Switzerland (0.1 ha. In 2016, a total of 2,256 hectares of vineyard area were designated (Kym Anderson statistics).
A Schiava Grossa vine (under Black Hamburg) is one of the world's oldest vines (see details there). It regularly produces a yield every year. Planted as early as 1769 by the landscape gardener Lancelot Brown (1716-1783) during the reign of England's King George III. (1738-1820) can be found in the garden of the Tudor palace "Hampton Court Palace" near London. The vine, which is around 250 years old, is cultivated under glass and, as mentioned, still bears fruit. The circumference of the trunk is four metres; the longest shoot is 36.5 metres. The annual harvest is about 250 kg of grapes.
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Pictures: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
