Welcome!
In a winegrowing region whose tradition was already famed during the period of the Roman emperors, wine, culture, and art have been closely intertwined throughout history. In this way, South Tyrol - Alto Adige was shaped by countless generations of winegrowers as a land of quality wine.
Vineyards cultivation takes part of our family history since almost one century, and the enthusiasm towards wine is still anchored deeply in the hart of the third generation.
Culture, nature, tradition and innovation, great respect and development, I love and live my environment.
The first mention of the locality of Cortina in a document dates back over 700 years and, because it speaks of a continued existence, implies an even greater age for the settlement. The names Curtinego, Curtinie, or Cortine, which have been handed down from documents in Latin from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, found their German equivalents in Curtinie or Cortinie beginning in 1288.
It is quite possible that the name stems from a corruption of the Latin curtus dominica , meaning court of the king or lord.
With only 600 inhabitants, Cortina is today among the smallest communities in South Tyrol - Alto Adige . It is the last village with a German-speaking majority before the southern provincial border with Trentino and is the only village in the South Tyrolean Lowlands which lies in the middle of the valley floor, surrounded by fruit orchards and vineyards near the Adige River .
Our territory is both, alpine and mediterranean...
The different geographical positions and grounds and the various microclimatic conditions allow cultivation and the right growth of a wide spectrum of vineyards.
The art and accuracy is that to be able to take the best advantage from the territory. Only this way this kind of grapes matures, which respesents the typical and characteristic of the geographical position.
Winemaking has always played a great role in Cortina from time immemorial. Good soil and a mild Alpine microclimate contribute to the growth of grapes of excellent quality.
The valley floor around Cortina and the wide selection of grape varieties are as varied as the landscape, a fact which has brought special praise to winemaking in the Lowlands throughout the centuries. The wealth of varietals is without a doubt due to the climatic conditions which are especially favorable to the grapes.
Among these conditions are the high number of hours of sunshine (an average of 1,800 per year), the favorable average temperature value (18 degrees C, or 64 degrees F), and the good distribution of precipitation. In addition, the loose, well-aerated soil which is thus easily warmed contributes to the grapes growing well, thereby ensuring a high quality of the wines made from them.
The soils consist of dolomite and limestone with glacial deposits of gravel, sand, and clay. Mountain streams bring abundant water after the snowy winters. Hot summers often bring scorching heat to the valley floor, and the large temperature extremes between day and night lend the wines a powerful bouquet. The "Ora", a dry, cool wind, prevails in the entire region, regularly blowing from Lake Garda all the way up to Merano and Bressanone. To a large extent, it prevents the onset of rot after rainfall.
Since the year 1928, when Peter Zemmer founded a wine brokerage business, more than a half century has passed and the winery of the Zemmer family, presently under the prudent direction of Mr. Helmuth Zemmer, has developed into one of the leading wineries in South Tyrol - Alto Adige. The wide variety of planting locations and grape varieties and the expert management of the proprietor (with his sons at his side) result in a broad range of full-bodied red wines and a diverse palette of top-cru white wines.
The harvest arrives every year at the most modernly outfitted winery from its own vineyards and from over 100 winegrowers who are tightly bound to tradition. Environmentally conscious care of the vines and soil, as well as yield reductions in the vineyards, long ago ceased for them to be merely empty catchwords.
Healthy, ripe grapes and, consequently, more quality than quantity are the results of this devotion, results which in the winery are then refined into quality wines. The success achieved up to now confirms the validity of the path which the winery has followed and is reflected by the numerous national and international recognitions and prizes won by the quality products from the Peter Zemmer winery.
The entire line of S outh Tyrolean - Alto Adige DOC wines is sold in restaurants and in quality food and wine shops in Italy and abroad. More than just a good presentation and well-informed sales, the Peter Zemmer Winery is determined to provide the best results of the harvest, wines that are characteristic of their variety, and a good price-quality ratio, a result of the tender care that goes into the making of their wine.
The special heart of the winery is the newly installed wooden barrel cellar. The highest quality and most noble wines mature in both large and small casks made from French oak (barriques).