Born in '87, he leads around a hundred service staff and, over 15 years, has mentored dozens of young individuals, instilling in them his profound passion for wine: Matteo Lattanzi opens up.
The sommelier
Heading from Merano to the beautiful Val Passiria, a century-long adventure began in 1923 when the Dorfer family purchased the Quellenhof inn, established in 1897. This journey has evolved into the Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier, the first of many luxury establishments spanning from South Tyrol to Lake Garda.
Describing the vast Quellenhof world in a few lines is complex, given its significant magnitude. In Passeier alone, there are 220 rooms and suites, a remarkable 10,500-square-meter wellness area, and an important medical center established in 2010. Not only, it stands as the largest sports hotel in the Alps. Despite its size, the gastronomic quality remains exceptional, with numerous restaurants, including the first Teppanyaki restaurant in South Tyrol and "Atmosphera" bistro, functioning as a bar, cigar lounge, and pool bar in the summer.
The flagship venue aspiring to achieve the Michelin star is the Quellenhof Gourmetstube 1897, where the original stone entrance of the inn still stands. Managing an impressive staff is Executive Chef Michael Mayr on the culinary front and starring Matteo Lattanzi, born in 1987, as Maître d’Hôtel and Sommelier. He oversees the complex service machinery, equivalent to managing 108 personnel during the high season, with an average of 85/90 for the rest of the year, considering that the establishment is open from February until early January.
Matteo shares, "I fell in love with this profession as a child and realized early on that I wanted to become a waiter, since I worked at the town's orchestra events where I played the saxophone and clarinet. I enrolled in the renowned Savoy school in Merano, where I found excellent teachers who provided the support I sought, and my idols Konrad Thaler and Walter Bramezza, two masters of our field."
Lattanzi throws himself into international competitions, such as within the scope of WorldSkills International: he ranks fourth in 2007 for Italy in Shizuoka, Japan. He then achieves the title of Chef Expert for the Restaurant and Bar sector and becomes part of the organization for the World Championships. He also becomes an AIS sommelier, and his passion for wine comes to the forefront: "I've been working at the Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier for twenty years now. Mr. Dorfer, the owner, entrusted me with the responsibility of the cellar and wine list, as well as the entire Food and Beverage department.”
Managing eight different restaurants, a hectic schedule, and a considerable number of collaborators, Matteo Lattanzi is always seen with a genuine smile. Over the years, he earned the title of professional master, passing over thirty exams with honors. He shares, "This has allowed me to become an even better trainer. I've always had a great passion for education: I believe that's why the Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier is the place where more apprentices are trained in the gastronomic sector in South Tyrol. In the last 15 years, I've trained more than 40 who have now found jobs worldwide or have built their careers here or abroad."
It's not over because in 2017, with HGV (Hotel and Restaurant Association of South Tyrol), Lattanzi founded the South Tyrolean Hospitality Association with noble goals, including enhancing the role of the waiter, creating a network for professional exchange, and establishing new perspectives for a still challenging industry. The latest, very recent achievements are from this year, with the "Premio Carta Vini Italia" award in the "Fine Dining – Gourmet" category during Milan Wine Week and the Service of the Year award from Falstaff magazine.
In conclusion, to truly savor the Quellenhof Gourmetstube 1897 experience, trust Mayr for the cuisine and let Matteo handle the pairings. He will tailor them precisely, drawing from an intelligently crafted wine list boasting 1200 labels, full of rarities dating back to 1943.
If you inquire about the old vintages of South Tyrol that he carefully preserves, the enjoyment will be complete, with incredible labels starting from splendid Schiava with over twenty years of aging, and a notable focus on Italy and France. Smiling, he says, "I seek the niches within niches within niches, conducting extensive research on small wineries." In this regard, Matteo also relies on a group of five or six trusted distributors who travel far and wide for him, stating, "When I'm free in January and February, I join them, and we go to visit the wineries."
For Matteo, the choice of the glass is crucial: "Tasting a wine always gives me emotion, a sense of happiness and good humor, therefore the choice of glass matters. I choose it based on the grape but also in relation to the wine's structure: at home, we have a glass for each type. Whether it's Riesling, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, in any case, it's an essential aspect. I know Spiegelau well and have already chosen this brand for us in the hotel and for the Quellenhof See Lodge (a new group of exclusive suites and villas at the water's edge). They are glasses of extreme finesse, elegant and light, beautiful to look at and perfect for tasting."
Matteo selected Barons de Rothschild Champagne Concordia Brut for the tasting, using the Sparkling wine glass from the Definition line. He explains, "I wanted to use this glass, slightly wider, for the wine's significant structure. This is a Champagne of great elegance, freshness, and salinity, made with 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, undergoing lees aging for at least 4 years. Barons de Rothschild's terroirs are 85% Grands and Premiers crus: mainly Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Trépail, Vertus for Chardonnay; Aÿ, Verzenay, Ambonnay, Avenay for Pinot Noir. In the glass, the wine rises luminous, clear, and brilliant with a golden hue, intertwining with very fine bubbles. The freshness of Chardonnay comes first on the nose; very complex and at the same time elegant, it has a distinctive varietal character of exotic fruits (ripe pineapple, lychee), peach, melon, with a beautiful floral note.
If we give it some time in the glass, notes of sweet spices and hazelnut come out. On the palate, the wine is round, enveloping, with excellent acidity and aromatic complexity, featuring notes of crisp nectarines, honey, saffron, and pepper well seasoned with pleasant bitter hints on the finish. It's a Grand Champagne that I envision pairing well with an entire beautiful menu but also as the protagonist: just it and us..."
Inspired by Spiegelau
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