Kellerei Kaltern

The Kellerei Kaltern, or, directly translated, the Kaltern Winegrowers’ Cooperative, was founded in 1906. Even at this early stage, there were many thoughts about not only working together more efficiently and cost-effectively, but also trying to offer wines of the best possible quality. In this way, the Kellerei had already begun to make a name for itself during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and was named an official Purveyor of Wines (Royal Warrant Holder) to the imperial palace in Vienna. The situation changed dramatically with the outbreak of the first World War. As did most producers in South Tyrol, Kellerei Kaltern lost their traditional customers in the former empire. It took well over 50 years for the wines from the Kalterer See region to again develop into an important export good.

In the 1980’s, viticulture in Kaltern experienced an almost revolutionary change. As one of the first regions in Italy to do so, Kaltern realized that the tastes of consumers had changed — they were starting to demand and expect a return to high quality standards. As a result, yields were reduced, the average annual production was cut in half, and the hl/ha ratio fell continuously from 200 hl/ha in 1970, to 100 hl/ha in 1990, to 75 hl/ha in 2003.
Today, the Kellerei Kaltern has 410 members which together work and control over 290 ha of vineyards. This cooperative is commonly counted among the best and most quality-oriented wineries in Italy.