Left: Sebastian Gerner Right: Stephan Keller
Thinking out of the box
Young Swiss vintners explore and invent creative new wines To make great wine many things are needed: good soil, the right amount of sunshine and rain and – above anything else – a love for winemaking. The Swiss Klettgau region was long overlooked but today has become famous for its Pinot Noir wines. Since 2001, the Rötiberg winery has created wines with character following the idea that only the best grapes are key for outstanding and elegant wines. TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN I PHOTOS: ANDRINA WANNER
The river Rhine has formed the Klettgau region in northern Switzerland since primeval times. Therefore, the vines growing on about 60 hectares around Wilchingen profit from a soil formed by Earth’s history. The Rötiberg vineyard cultivates 32 hectares in this south-facing area, with most of the vines growing on 230 to 250-million-year-old layers of rock. This leaves traces in the wine. But not only the soil structure and the microclimate are responsible for the Rötiberg’s vibrant and fruity wines: the 65 vintners working in the Klettgau region have a close connection to nature, the plants they are growing and the grapes they are harvesting. Among them is the team of the Rötiberg winery. “Inventiveness and creativity have always been our key features when it comes to winemaking,” says Rötiberg’s executive Stephan Keller. Keller and cellarer Sebastian Gerner form the core of a young and motivated team not only searching for new challenges but also new ways to make better and more tasteful wines. Pinot Noir grapes are the queens among all wine varieties grown in the Klettgau region, even though many other varieties
30 | Issue 38 | May 2016