CALDARO - KELLEREI KALTERN
The area surrounding Lake Caldaro boasts an exceptional terroir, divided into small plots. Most of the over 1,000 winegrowers in this area have less than one hectare of land. It is practically impossible for a small winegrower to vinify and market his own grapes. Hence the idea and the economic need to set up a consortium of producers. In addition, the collaboration between farmers allows you to benefit from the knowledge of wine cellars and technical infrastructure, two elements necessary for the production of high quality wines. The Cantina di Caldaro was founded in 1906. Even then, the aim was to produce in cooperation, not only to cut costs, but above all to be able to offer a product of high quality. The winery acquired a high reputation during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, when it became the official supplier of the Habsburg court of Vienna. The outbreak of the First World War radically changed the situation and, like most of the South Tyrolean producers, even the Caldaro Winery lost its traditional customers overseas. It was only in the fifties of the last century that the wines of Caldaro were reaffirmed as a prestigious product for export. Today, for South Tyrolean wines and, in particular, for those from the Caldaro area, there is a strong global demand. Especially the elegant whites that ripen at the foot of the Mendola, but also Pinot Noir and Lagrein are increasingly appreciated. The most famous of all the wines in the area is, of course, Lake Caldaro. The Cantina di Caldaro owes its origins to the merger, carried out in 1992, between the Bauernkellerei, or the cellar of the peasants, and the Cantina del Giubileo, founded in 1908. Today Cantina di Caldaro has 440 members and a total area of 300 hectares, and is considered one of the most important companies for its quality production.