Welcome to Episode 1391; part of our Italian wine interview series set in Dusseldorf, Germany. Today Joy Livingston interviews Hannes Rottensteiner from the Rottensteiner Family Wineries Stevie Kim and her team travelled to Dusseldorf, Germany this March to collaborate with ITA, the Italian Trade Agency. ITA was organizing some incredible Masterclasses featuring the best wines Italy has to offer. Each masterclass was led by the Master Sommelier Eros Teboni (awarded Best Sommelier Worldwide in 2018), and they wanted us there to document the amazing 3 days! Tune-in each Thursday as we bring you the great interviews that unfolded over the course of 3 days. About today’s guest and winery: It has always been clear to Hannes that he wanted to remain faithful to wine. He is the cellar master at the family wineries, working with his father, together they produce 16 different varieties of white and red wine. Hannes took on the job as oenologist in 2001 while his father concentrates on the viticulture aspect. THE ESTATE “More than 50 years ago our grandfather Hans had a dream: to produce his own wine. Grandpa Hans's dream is our dream today. The wine cellar was founded in 1956. In those years Hans gave priority to the sale of bulk wine in Switzerland. In the 80s, thanks also to the entry into the cellar of his son Toni, the work concentrated on the production of bottled wines. In 2001, his nephew Hannes, Toni's son, brought new support to the business. From the very beginning, not only the grapes from the ten hectares of the family vineyards were vinified in the cellar. The production was supplemented by that of about 50 local farmers. This collaboration has now become a tradition and is essential for the success and good quality of the wine. Today, as then, we consciously focus on the typicality of the wine varieties and place a clear emphasis on the typical wines of Bolzano: Lagrein and Santa Maddalena.” If you want to learn more about today’s guest, you can by visiting: More about today’s guest and winery: www.rottensteiner.wine/it/ More about the interviewer: Joy Livingston is the Producer of Italian Wine Podcast. Narrator extraordinaire and Scienza whisperer Joy Livingston has been known to edit the occasional book from time to time. When Joy is not busy Producing the podcast she is also working hard on the Mamma Jumbo Shrimp YouTube channel where many of the interviews stream on video! Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/ Until next time, cin cin!