Oliver Zeter Pfalz Riesling

Oliver Zeter was born in 1964 and made a viticulture apprenticeship with Dr. med. Deinhard in Deidesheim. He then studied wine-growing technology in Weinsberg. After spending time abroad in Italy and South Africa, he worked as an importer and wine merchant in Hamburg. In 2003 he joined the wine agency Zeter. He manages the agency together with his brother Christian and his father Lutz Zeter. Oliver is responsible for wine selection and quality control. However, he has always had a heartfelt desire to produce his own wine, with the return to his homeland, this urge became stronger and stronger. In 2005, he was able to realize this dream by acquiring about 3 hectares of vineyards. 

The Bear, in Oliver’s own words “The affable bear logo came from the quill of the Pfalz painter Otto Dill. The artist, who regularly enjoyed a glass with my great-grandfather Richard Baer, penned a bear with human features on a postcard to his friend. The bear has accompanied me my whole life - that original postcard hangs framed in our kitchen. And it was clear to me from very early on that it would be an honour to have this thirsty bear, whose face so resembles my great-grandfather, grace each of my bottles.”

This Riesling comes from vineyard slocated at the Mittelhaardt. The rocky and sandy subsoils in Haardt and Mussbach are creating the fine and elegant style with lots of peach flavours. The vines are fifteen years old by now and are characterized by moderate growth and very late ripeness. The third part grows in the Saumagen vineyard in Kallstadt,

one of the finest sites in the Mittelhaardt. The wines from these chalky soils are very refined and full of texture. The grapes were handpicked and gently pressed by using a pneumatic press. The fresh juice is cleared by settling. A slow fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at 18°C in order to protect the delicate flavours of the Riesling. After fermentation the wine was kept on the lees for several months in order to preserve the freshness and to shape the structure of the Riesling. No fining was done prior bottling and it was only filtered once by a gentle fltration process.