Vineyards Magazine

A toast with Kalterersee Classico Superiore DOC Quintessenz

Cantina Kaltern is celebrating 125 years of passion, cooperation and dedication to viticulture. On this special occasion, the symbolic toast is with Schiava (Vernatsch), a native grape variety that more than any other has helped write the history of Cantina Kaltern and that today is expressed in a portfolio of Kalterersee Classico Superiore DOC wines of impressive personality.

 When the first cooperative nucleus of Caldaro was founded in 1900, Schiava was the undisputed queen variety, and for decades it occupied a full 90% of the vineyard area, becoming a symbol of the local wine culture and identity. It is with this grape that Cantina Kaltern put down its own solid roots and gradually selected a path increasingly oriented towards quality and the enhancement of the terroir on the shores of Lake Caldaro. Today, in addition to Schiava, which is grown in the areas where it can express itself best (today 13% of the total), white wines such as Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc are also increasingly important.

“Our Schiava has given us great satisfaction over the years, and this has contributed to the recognition of Lake Caldaro as an area of great winemaking quality, of which Cantina Kaltern is the privileged interpreter” says Cantina President Christian Sinn. “If this has been possible, it is thanks to great teamwork, both of the winemaking team and of our 520 grower-members. My most sincere thanks go to all of them: they are the beating heart of our cooperative and the major players in its growth.”

Among the wines resulting from this journey and best representing Cantina Kaltern, the Kalterersee Classico Superiore DOC of the Quintessenz line stands out today, currently in the 2023 version. An expression of selected vineyards up to 100 years old, located between 230 and 350 metres’ elevation around Lake Caldaro, this wine embodies all the character, versatility and elegance that this grape can offer. A contemporary red, with fruit-rich aromas, the variety’s classic almond note, and a beautiful tanginess, it can convey – sip after sip – the history and the growing area from which it comes.” 

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Cantina Kaltern is the largest winery cooperative in Alto Adige and one of the most important players in the local viticulture. As an historic winery representing the entire community of Kaltern, it is also the most authoritative interpreter of the Schiava variety under the denomination Kalterersee DOC. Leading the portfolio is the Quintessenz line, comprised of 5 monovarietals that encapsulate the essence of Cantina Kaltern’s terroir and spirit. Then, the Selections Line, whose grapes are grown in vineyards of recognised character, and the Classic Line, cuvées that convey the classic essence of their grape varieties. In 2018, Cantina Kaltern became the first winery in Italy to adhere to the strict Fair’n Green protocols, Europe’s authoritative certification system for fully sustainable viticulture.