Address:
67433 Neustadt - Haardt, Germany Show on map Show in places
67433 Neustadt - Haardt, Germany Show on map Show in places
Phone:
Website:
www.oliver-zeter.de
Wineguide:
Oliver Zeter
Info:
For 15 years, the name Oliver Zeter has been synonymous with world-class Sauvignon Blanc. The far-sighted man from the Palatinate with the distinctive bear label has given the variety a new home by carefully studying the local terroirs and clones and defining suitable locations. Today, the company is one of Germany's top wine estates. Clearly because of - and not only because of - its expressive Sauvignons.
When Oliver Zeter, the "oldest young winemaker in the Palatinate", as he self-deprecatingly puts it, only switched from drinking wine to making wine at the age of 40, there was practically nothing: no vineyard, no vines, no technology. But he did have an idea - and it was a good one! On his travels to South Africa, the USA, Chile, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the Loire and the Bordelais, he was repeatedly fascinated by a grape variety that at the time did not have a reputation for producing wines of origin. It was the versatility in terms of style and flavours that Zeter found so impressive about Sauvignon Blanc. And because there was nothing he had to take into consideration, he boldly started with an underdog. That was in 2007.
15 years later, Oliver Zeter prefers to greet his guests with a firm handshake in front of his "Domaine" on the Haardt, a district of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The imposing building, built in 1922 from the same light-coloured sandstone that dominates the vineyards, has been renovated and given a touch of elegance by Oliver and his brother Christian Zeter. 400 metres away, the legendary regulars' table used to meet, where Professor Otto Dill drew the bear caricature of Zeter's grandfather - named Walter Baer - which is now immortalised on the label. From here, the view sweeps far across the Palatinate's sea of vines, also known as the "Balcony of the Palatinate" for good reason.
The diversity of the region's mild climate and fertile soils also characterises Zeter's approach. As a vineyard collector, the various microclimates...
When Oliver Zeter, the "oldest young winemaker in the Palatinate", as he self-deprecatingly puts it, only switched from drinking wine to making wine at the age of 40, there was practically nothing: no vineyard, no vines, no technology. But he did have an idea - and it was a good one! On his travels to South Africa, the USA, Chile, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the Loire and the Bordelais, he was repeatedly fascinated by a grape variety that at the time did not have a reputation for producing wines of origin. It was the versatility in terms of style and flavours that Zeter found so impressive about Sauvignon Blanc. And because there was nothing he had to take into consideration, he boldly started with an underdog. That was in 2007.
15 years later, Oliver Zeter prefers to greet his guests with a firm handshake in front of his "Domaine" on the Haardt, a district of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The imposing building, built in 1922 from the same light-coloured sandstone that dominates the vineyards, has been renovated and given a touch of elegance by Oliver and his brother Christian Zeter. 400 metres away, the legendary regulars' table used to meet, where Professor Otto Dill drew the bear caricature of Zeter's grandfather - named Walter Baer - which is now immortalised on the label. From here, the view sweeps far across the Palatinate's sea of vines, also known as the "Balcony of the Palatinate" for good reason.
The diversity of the region's mild climate and fertile soils also characterises Zeter's approach. As a vineyard collector, the various microclimates...
PHOTO GALLERY 6 Oliver Zeter GbR
