Luogotenente
the courageous one

As a luogotenente, i.e. a governor serving the Austrian Empire, Georg Otto Ritter von Toggenburg demonstrated his character and foresight all of 170 years ago. The great-great-grandfather of Eberhard, Count Toggenburg dared to choose a new course both for himself and his family. He came to Bozen from Switzerland, where the family lived in Sargans Castle, and married there. As Minister of Trade he was appointed by the Austrian government to serve as the last Imperial Governor of Venice.

WHY DOES THIS WINE MATCH THIS PERSONALITY?

This red wine is courageous and unconventional, just like the luogotenente who gave our family its new home and future. We have taken an equally courageous step, moving to Tuscany where the family history will continue. My own interpretation of a Tuscan red wine is also unconventional: made from the Fogliatonda, Sangiovese and Teroldego varieties, it expresses my desires for my family. It is a project from the heart that on the label features my favourite colour, blue, one that I appreciate for its restrained yet powerful elegance.

I MOST ENJOY DRINKING Luogotenente…

with fine meat dishes, either those with local roots or of a more exotic interpretation. The marrying of three indigenous grape varieties means that the Luogotenente naturally pairs well with a good steak, grilled as we like to do in Tuscany. The Fogliatonda grape gives this wine its lush yet soft tannins, while ensuring it goes harmoniously with braised meat dishes, e.g. the classic brasato, or a goulash made of game, or a lamb tajine.

Tip: Needs time to breathe to fully express himself, so please open in time, possibly even the day before.

THE ORIGINS OF Luogotenente

The grapes for our Luogotenente come from three vineyards – Vigna del Cimitero, Vigna del Poggio and Vigna del Poggino. All three are hilly locations with predominantly loamy-clayey soil, slightly stony in places: very rich soils that form the perfect basis for full-bodied, rounded wines. Maceration takes around 14 days, with malolactic acid conversion occurring partly during fermentation or immediately afterwards. The wine is then aged for some six months in previously used wooden casks and the process concludes with a further six months in steel tanks. The wine is bottle-aged for a half-year following bottling.