Idda
the unconventional one

Eberhard, Count Toggenburg would have liked to have given up the Merlot grape when he made his debut in Poggio Rozzi: but then he discovered the white side of this red variety, and thus dedicated this white wine to a very special woman – his ancestor, St. Idda of Toggenburg. She lived in the 12^th century together with her husband on the Iddaberg mountain in the canton of St. Gallen, location of the Alt-Toggenburg, the ancestral castle of the Counts Toggenburg. According to the legend of the saint, Idda lost her wedding ring, which a hunter subsequently found and wore. When Ida's husband discovered the wedding ring on the hunter's finger, he accused his wife of infidelity and had her thrown from a 200-metre high cliff. Miraculously, Idda survived the fall, whereupon a deer with shining antlers led her to the nearby convent of Fischingen, where she subsequently lived. The pilgrimage church of St. Iddaburg was consecrated in honour of Idda on the former site of the castle and remains to this day a place of pilgrimage in Switzerland.

WHY DOES THIS WINE MATCH THIS PERSONALITY?

This wine stands out on account of its particular crafting, showing the unfamiliar side of a well-known grape variety. Saint Idda of Toggenburg also excelled in a male-dominated era thanks to her commitment to her fellow human beings: I imagine Idda as a young, strong woman with a confident yet delicate character, one that we also bring to the fore in the wine.

I MOST ENJOY DRINKING Idda…

on a beautiful summer’s day on the terrace of our winery. And, in times when I cannot be there, it brings me back to this place. Its fresh fruitiness, crisp acidity and moderate alcohol content all make Idda the ideal companion – not just as an aperitif, but for all summer dishes such as bruschetta, tomato caprese, melon with smoked ham, fish and seafood.

THE ORIGINS OF IDDA

Our white wine grows as a red merlot in a fresh location, the Vigna del Virginio vineyard, on an east-facing slope. The soil is mainly loamy clay with individual banks of stone-rich deposits. This, combined with the moderately sunny location, allows us to achieve fresh and fruity notes in this Tuscan white wine with its relatively low alcohol content. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested, then immediately cooled and gently pressed. The red Merlot grapes produce an almost colourless must that ferments slowly at a controlled temperature in steel tanks.