In the heart of the Dolomites, the toast of Kettmeir (Santa Margherita) to the return to normality

Raise the glasses: we hadn’t heard that for a long time, except in the video conference. A return to normality long longed for, albeit for a few close people, but which has nevertheless given a nice response to the desire to start again, which, in the world of wine, usually animated by events, meetings, guided tours, conferences, appointments, is particularly felt. The credit goes to Santa Margherita, the Marzotto wine group, one of the families who have written important pages of wine (but also of many other sectors of Italian industry: from glass to fashion, to renewable energy ...). led by Beniamino Garofalo, capable of generating 189.4 million euros in 2019, and putting together ten estates (from Ca’ del Bosco, the Franciacorta label, to Lamole di Lamole in Chianti Classico) in some of the most beautiful regions of Italian enology. Starting from Trentino-Alto Adige, home of Kettmeir, the bubbles chosen by the three-Michelin-starred chef of St. Hubertus Norbert Niederkofler, for the mountain restaurant AlpiNN, at Plan de Corones, in the former cable car station of Kronplatz, at 2,275 meters above sea level. It is from here that, symbolically, Italian wine started again, from the meeting with Stefano Marzotto and the managing director Santa Margherita, Beniamino Garofalo (on WineNews the interviews with the ad Santa Margherita and the three-Michelin-starred chef Beniamino Garofalo).
Which speaks of “an atypical day: together we have participated in many events in the past, and today I am happy because four months after my appointment I can speak to you in person. Finally, we see each other in person, it seems like a conquest, it is certainly a reason to be proud. And then, talking about Kettmeir, a reality of the territory that has celebrated its first 100 years, from here, has a particular sense, which crowns an important path, supported by our partners, shareholders, and those who work in Kettmeir. As Santa Margherita Group we believe that Kettmeir can become a flag of the territory at an international level, a global brand. The one with AlpiNN, Norbert Niederkofler’s premises, I believe is the perfect combination: we believe in AlpiNN's philosophy and Norbert’s ethics and approach to the territory. And then, friendship helps to make things happen. I hope that this event bodes well for all of us and that there is a boost to the recovery, first and foremost for the catering industry, and the whole system because we need it”.
And it is no coincidence that the location is that of a mountain restaurant, in the setting of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, led by a chef, Norbert Niederkofler (together with his partner Paolo Ferretti), for 12 years has given up all the ingredients that do not come from his mountains, selecting a core of local suppliers: a very short supply chain, of the highest specialization and quality, in the name of the “good” kilometer. A closed-cycle able to guarantee connection with the land and fair remuneration to local producers, a virtuous choice from which menus focused on seasonality and territoriality are created, to represent in every dish the mountains, the toil of farmers and breeders, the quality of their products, the traditions handed down, care and constancy. The cornerstones of cuisine and philosophy at the stove of chef Niederkofler, always told in “Cook the Mountain” - The nature around you, the work, in two volumes, to be released in October 2020, a multicultural and wide-ranging project breath that, from Italy to Germany, involves communication, publishing and photography professionals. Niederkofler himself was helped in the writing of the texts by his wife Christine Lasta, and, in line with the concept of “no waste” and territoriality promoted by Niederkofler, the book (in Italian, English and German, cover price around 100 euros) was entirely printed on paper, a material obtained from apple waste and patented in South Tyrol.