Concierge Blog
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
As you might recall, the concierge and his following had the possibility to visit the seat of the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery in Munich on the 27th of September 2017
Klaus, friend and long-time guest at the Sparerhof, invited us for a visit during the Oktoberfest.
Klaus and his group of co-workers decided to visit South Tyrol for their special leave this year, choosing between Lisbon, Vienna, London and South Tyrol, they made the right decision, a landslide victory for South Tyrol.
Thank you Klaus! You and your team have impeccable taste. To surprise the group, we organised a tour of beautiful Kaltern and hike along the wine road with a panoramic view of the lake.
Walther, partner at the vineyard Kaltern had the stove ready and conveniently fired, for us to try fresh polenta. Walther stands for a true South Tyrolean, pure, direct and able to hold one’s drink.
A true inhabitant of Kaltern, the Schiava stronghold of South Tyrol, Walther prepares a mean polenta.
Vineyards and orchards as far as the eye can see, but no corn. In realty the main ingredient for polenta was only cultivated for a, relatively speaking, brief amount of time in our valleys (300 years). With farmers soon realising that apples and fruit make for a more profitable crop and soon apple trees overgrew the landscape and exiled corn.
Polenta made in Kaltern
Even with the vanishing of corn, polenta made from the yellow flour remained in the everyday South Tyrolean kitchen. Accompanying anything from goulash, to sausages and cheese to barley coffee, traditionally eaten during the grape harvest.
Some restaurants offer polenta gnocchi, rosticciata with polenta and vegetables, it seems to go with everything, fish and meat alike. Wein.Kaltern reintroduced the original polenta from Kaltern, “kalterer plent”, cultivated on some hills in the area, and serve it together with a glass of Lago di Caldaro.
The taste of the Kaltern’s hills and lake, not only on your plate but also in your glass!
Together with our polenta we had the inimitable “Hauswurst”
The wines:
Vial Pinot Bianco
“Echoes of the sea trapped in the vineyard’s limestone soil return on the savoury-edged back palate.”
Leuchtenburg Schiava Kalterersse Classico Superiore.
“The spirit of place and a sense of provenance. Lake Kaltern, with all its grace, power, beauty, austerity and a panoramic view of Alto Adige.”
A big thank you to Walther, for your hospitality and kindness.
picts © K. Brugger
With 22.000 bottles of wine a year, the vinery Abraham can’t really be considered one of the biggest in South Tyrol. But not everything is always as it seems.
Founded 10 years ago by the winemakers Marlies and Martin Abraham, they are now considered among the most innovative and most interesting viniculturalists in South Tyrol. Winemakers from near and far visit their vineyard in Appiano, to be convinced by their philosophy and their quality standards.
It all started like most clever ideas do: with a bottle of wine. After countless deliberations and wine tastings, Marlies and Martin decided to further their ambitious winemaking tradition.
After taking a small loan, they expanded their winecellar and stocked their first wines. Today, after ten years, the family holds still true to their values and continues to expand, step by step.
The repertoire of the vinery includes pinot bianco, gewuerztraminer, vernatsch, pinot nero and sauvignon. But don’t expect the usual characteristics od south Tyrolean wine behind these varieties. These wines are characterised by their complexity, elegance and persistence.
In and around Appiano grow high quality grapes in the chalk and porphyry hillsides. The Terroir in Appiano itself couldn’t be more different. The lowest vineyard can be found on 400 meters , while the highest lies 700 meters above sea level. Tempetature and climate couldn’t be more different, which can be seen in the wines.
Small, but high calibre, these words describe the winery Abraham perfectly. A winery that you should definitely be on the lookout for.
Stay tuned....
picts © nr 8 T. Saito
