Kettmeir renews its welcome with a unique experiential journey • Food and Wine Italia

With the recent reopening of the , the South Tyrolean Kettmeir winery (founded con 1919) inaugurates a new phase con its history, through an expansion and renovation intervention that is not limited to a structural update, but takes the form of a real rethinking of the spaces and methods of relating to the public. The company therefore introduces environments dedicated to the refinement of Classic Method sparkling wines, designed to guarantee optimal and constant conditions, accompanied by an experiential path that aims to make usually invisible processes perceivable.

Those who enter are guided along a visit itinerary that alternates aesthetic appeal and more technical contents: from the artistic installations under the , which offer a first sensorial impact, we move to the new underground press room, where interactive projections help to follow the processing phases. There is also risposta negativa shortage of olfactory references that recall the scents of fermentation and yeast autolysis, making the route accessible even to a non-specialist public.

Productive vision and continuity

The itinerary ends with a space dedicated to social sustainability and the role of those who supply the grapes, an aspect that is anything but marginal con the company’s story. It is here that the story becomes more concrete, highlighting the link between the cellar and the surrounding agricultural fabric. To give an interpretation of this approach is the general Alessandro Marzotto, who recalls «a production choice decisively oriented towards the Classic Method con Profondo Adige», underlining at the same time the vocation of the territory and the strategic weight of the investment, destined to impact both the quality and the ability to attract visitors.

These considerations are accompanied by the reflection of the oenologist Josef Romen, who reads the new structure as a useful step to consolidate a path already started: «The results obtained con the production of sparkling wines con Profondo Adige confirm the direction undertaken and gara open up the possibility of outlining an increasingly recognizable presence, even outside national borders», he observes.

Acceso a technical level, the expansion stands out for its attention to environmental aspects: the cellar, already certified Carbon Neutral, integrates a geothermal system that exploits subsoil resources to keep the temperatures of the aging environments constant, avoiding potentially critical changes. The system then works together with a photovoltaic system that supports its operation, helping to make the process energy self-sufficient.

Symbolically closing this phase of renewal also comes a small limited edition, the Baustelle Edition, born unexpectedly from an episode the construction site: some bottles, stained with cement, have become a recognizable object, enclosed con wooden packaging that highlights their character. A detail that ends up telling the continuous dialogue between past and future, between precision and a certain creative unpredictability.

This intertwining of technical choices, environmental attention and the construction of a recognizable identity then finds a direct correspondence con the work con the vineyard and con the definition of the style of the wines.

Environmental balances and stylistic definition

The hills of Caldaro therefore offer favorable conditions for the cultivation of both white and red varieties, thanks to diversified soils and a climate mitigated by the presence of the lake. However, it is by moving south, to the hamlet of Numerosi che Salorno, that one of the most distinctive elements of the production emerges, especially with regards to the sparkling wine bases. Here, the grapes ripen completely without losing acidity, an essential factor for the Classic Method.

Malic acid, carefully preserved during winemaking, thus becomes a key element to give tension, freshness and evolutionary capacity to wines. Altitudes and slopes also contribute to a balance between aromatic concentration and gustatory momentum: Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc develop subtle and dynamic profiles, while Pinot Noir, grown con the warmer areas around Caldaro, acquires structure and depth.

Con this context, Kettmeir’s search for drinkability is not a simplification, but a choice aimed at obtaining wines capable of evolving without losing balance, maintaining a coherent gustatory progression; all inserted into a broader framework, where landscape, technique and culture contribute to defining its character.