Weingut Chat Sauvage – Interview With Verena Schöttle

Exploring the Sparkling Wine world will take you to every corner of the globe, there is so much to explore and taste, it would take several lifetimes to experience everything, but it is our mission here at Glass of Bubbly to highlight every country, region and bubbly producer, along with the incredible people making it all possible.

In this exclusive feature on Glass of Bubbly, we travel to Germany, visiting Chat Sauvage Winery to speak with Verena Schöttle, she has been managing the estate since 2016, responsible for the development of the wines and became co-owner of the winery in 2019, let’s discover a little about her life, her journey in the industry and one of his most memorable bubbly memories.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Verena, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How Your Journey Into The Wine Industry Began?

“I am 44 years old, grew up close to Stuttgart in the southern part of Germany, where my grandparents had a small farm producing different fruits (apples, plums, raspberries, and so on…) and a little bit of wine – as a child and teenager I loved the work outside and so I spent more time in the fruit gardens and the vineyards than in school….so I decided to make a traineeship as winemaker/ -producer. Afterwards, I studied winemaking in Geisenheim / Rheingau. I had different jobs before joining Chat Sauvage in the fall time 2015″

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Label It Was?

“To be honest – I can’t remember the first sparkling I drank….must be some years ago ;-)”

How Rewarding And Challenging Is Managing Your Own Winery?

“It is very interesting and not one day is like the other- there is always pleasant change and it is never going to be boring. In a small winery such as Chat Sauvage (around 8 ha grapevines, producing 25.000 bottles per year) the manager works in the vineyards, in the cellar, in the office and is doing the sale and customer support.”

When It Comes To Pairing Your Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“I like to combine our sparklings with fresh salads and seafood like Scallops or scampi.”

Can You Share With Us Some Of The Countries And Locations Around The World That You Can Enjoy A Glass Of Chat Sauvage?

“Our wines are available in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Norway, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Thailand, Korea and Japan.”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Chat Sauvage Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“Oh- I hope that there will no bigger variances- I hope that we can consolidate the qualities which we produced the last years.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“The proposal of marriage, which my husband made: in a mountain gondola in Obergurgl, close to Sölden”

Thank you Verena, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Verena Schöttle. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.