Kettmeir, one hundred years and not showing it

1919-2019: The alto Adige winery Kettmeir has celebrated its first centennial. #kettmeir

Kettmeir, the Alto Adige Santa Margherita group winery in Caldaro, in the province of Bolzano, has turned 100. And yet, given its spirit and desire to experiment and grow, you would never guess it!

To celebrate this milestone, the producer invited leading players from the media and Italian and international wine sector for a new and unique tasting.

Kicking off celebrations and welcoming the many guests, with a toast of Athesis Rosé disgorged à la volée, and thus without any dosage, was the president of the group, Gaetano Marzotto, together with CEO Ettore Nicoletto, Kettmeir enologist Josef Romen and Franco Kettmeir, the grandson of winery founder Giuseppe Kettmeir.

According to Ettore Nicoletto, one of the key factors allowing them to reach 100 years of activity is the reciprocal esteem and confidence they have with their grape suppliers. There a total of 40 of them and many have been with the winery from the beginning and over the years, generation after generation, their relationship with winery has been reinforced. An awareness and respect of the territory is also essential, with the enologist believing in the maximum expression of the varietals he uses while preserving the integrity of the land in the products that come out of the winery. This would appear to be self-evident given we are dealing with mountain winegrowing, in which knowledge of every gradation of the land is evermore fundamental and delicate.

A detta di Ettore Nicoletto, uno degli ingredienti fondamentali per compiere 100 anni di attività è instaurare un rapporto di stima e fiducia reciproca con i propri conferitori d’uva. Quaranta in totale, di cui molti con l’azienda dal principio; nel susseguirsi degli anni le generazioni cambiavano e le relazioni con la cantina si rafforzavano. Imprescindibile anche la conoscenza e il rispetto del territorio, parola di enologo che crede nella massima espressione varietale in vigna e nella preservazione dell’integrità dei prodotti della terra in cantina. Considerazioni inevitabili se si pensa che parliamo di viticoltura di montagna, dove la conoscenza delle sfumature del territorio assume un ruolo sempre più fondamentale e delicato.  

Pioniera nella spumantistica metodo classico dal 1964 ad oggi, Kettmeir produce circa 420mila bottiglie all’anno di cui 85mila di bollicine. Un numero impressionante se pensate che l’intera produzione alto atesina di bolle è di 350mila bottiglie totali. Seconda alla produzione di spumanti per l’azienda è la produzione di bianchi fermi monovarietali. 

Dopo un breve ma interessante tour nel cuore della cantina di vinificazione è stato dato il via alla degustazione. Accompagnati dall’enologo Josef Romen e dal brand ambassador Alberto Ugolini, sulle note di celebri autori musicali, abbiamo ripercorso la storia dell’azienda Kettmeir attraverso la degustazione multisensoriale di quattro vini rappresentativi dell’azienda. 

Dopo 100 anni di storia, il concetto del tempo che passa assume senza ombra di dubbio un significato importante e profondo. È stato proprio il tempo il protagonista nei nostri calici, un concetto rafforzato da una degustazione completamente al buio animata dalla presenza di determinate luci e colori scelti appositamente per ciascun vino. Scopo della degustazione: degustare il vino alla cieca, facendosi suggestionare da musica e luci per suscitare emozioni e ricordi e fare, in un certo qual modo, “nostra” questa realtà vitivinicola. 

A pioneer in producing traditional method bubbly since 1964, Kettmeir today produces some 420,000 bottles of wine a year of which 85,000 are sparkling. This is an impressive number considering that Alto Adige’s total production of sparkling wine is 350,000 bottles. After bubbly, the winery’s second biggest product is still, single-varietal wine.

The tasting began after a short but interesting tour of the winery and cellar. Under the direction of enologist Josef roman and brand ambassador Alberto Ugolini, and accompanied by music from celebrated composers, we embarked on a revue of Kettmeir’s history through a multi-sensorial tasting of four of their representative wines.

With 100 years of history, the concept of time passing undoubtedly assumes an important and profound meaning. And time was a key protagonist of what we had in our glasses, a concept enhanced by the tasting taking place in total darkness broken only by lights of different colors selected for each wine. This was done to arrange a blind tasting influenced only by music and the colored lights to create emotions and memories to, in some way, make this wine reality “ours”.

The following were the music and colored light “pairings”.

1. Athesis Rosé Pas Dosé disgorged at the moment, A Stream With Bright Fish from The Peal by H. Budd and B. Eno. Color: aquamarine turquoise.

2. AA Pinot Bianco Athesis 2018, Diferencias Sobre Guarda Las Vacas by L. de Narvaez. Color: luminous yellow.

3. AA Müller Thurgau Athesis 2012 (a revelation at the tasting), Moola Mantra byD. Premal. Color: orange.

4. AA Pinot Nero Vigna Maso Reiner 2006, Concerto per flauto, oboe, violino, fagotto e basso RV 107 by A. Vivaldi. Color: ruby-red.

The result was both interesting and moving. I would suggest that every wine lover experiment with this approach, even if my favorite sound is without a doubt that of disgorging a pas dosé. This is a sound I will never tire of and one which, unless you work in a winery like Kettermeir, you do not hear often.

Aside from the musical pairings, there was of course another one of wine and food. The dishes were prepared by the chefs of the Michelin star restaurants Zum Löwen, Stella Matscher, and In Viaggio, Giorgio Melis. This was a fantastic voyage amid aromas, flavors and illusion… and the illusion I refer to was Melis’ starter “Sangue di Rapa” (Turnip Blood), a dish that pleased and fooled me. The chef’s intention, in fact, was to create an illusion of something different and I totally fell for it while fully enjoying it and asking myself “how did he do this?”.

The wines offered at the dinner were from the latest vintages available.

- Lago di Caldaro Classico 2017: a fresh and fragrant red wine that was paired with the “Sangue di Rapa”, a smoke red turnip, kefir and watercress to create the food illusion that is may be meat.

- AA Chardonnay Vigna Maso Reiner 2017: paired with a three-yellow tomato risotto by Chef Matscher.

- AA 1919 Riserva Extra Brut 2013: paired with suckling pig cinturello Orvietano New York, Tokyo, Sardinia (we will write more about this in another article) by Chef Mels.

- AA Moscato Rosa Athesis 2018: with a Zuppetta (soup) of aromatic herbs, red basil and pineapple sorbet.

All the best to Kettmeir and as we enjoy in our glasses the fruits of their many years or work, we wish them another 100 years!

Some tasting notes:

Alto Adige Lago di Caldaro Classico 2017

87/100 - € 9,50

Made 95% from Schiava grapes (the sub-varieties Gross, Gentile, Grigia and Meranese) and 5% Lagrein in stainless steel. A clear, ruby-red color with fragrant aromas of small red fruit that return in the mouthfeel that has a nice acidity and taut yet sweet sensations even if it is absolutely dry. The wine has a medium persistence and is a simple and very drinkable drop.
 

Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Athesis 2018 

91/100 - € 14

Pinot Bianco grapes that were in part fermented and matured in wood sûr lie. An intense, straw-yellow color and a very pronounced and particularly aromatic bouquet that recalls white Saturn peaches, ylang ylang floral notes and pineapple syrup, followed by a note of lavender. The mouthfeel is dominated by the sweet toasted sensation of vanilla and is still nervous with green hints while the flavor is salty, nicely balanced by the freshness with licorice in a finish that has an excellent persistence.

Available starting in April 2020.

Alto Adige 1919 Riserva Extra Brut 2013 

92/100 - € 45,00  

A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero with some of the Chardonnay fermenting in barriques and the rest in stainless steel and the Pint Nero separately. Once blended, the wine sits on the lees for at least 60 months. A golden-yellow color and fine effervescence and a bouquet dominated by dried fruit and sensations that indicate a certain verticality in the mouthfeel. The fruity aromas are evolved and recall raisinated and dried fruit. The mouthfeel is dominated by a nice acidity that adds rhythm to the flavor. A good persistence.

The name refers to the year the winery was founded.

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