Visiting our own winemakers

That the Netherlands now has more than 150 wine estates is no longer news. Interestingly, the quality is visibly rising and can be tasted. Why go abroad when there is plenty of wine fun to be had here?
Text: Fela de Wit | Image: Wine Estate De Koen, Fela de Wit

The Kop van Noord-Holland is a region you don't end up in by chance. A pity, because it is less hectic than the Randstad. You have beautiful cycling routes leading to the climbing dune in Schoorl and the beach in Petten. The historic towns like Medemblik, Hoorn and Enkhuizen and Alkmaar with its iconic cheese market are also well worth a visit.

Just beyond Heerhugowaard, hidden among water and greenery, lies Wine estate De Koen. An address that belongs on our wine radar. Here I am welcomed by owner Pieter de Boer, who started the estate in 2003.

From garden soil to terroir

Pieters story begins not with wine, but with the soil. As a boy, he grew up in Langedijk, a major horticultural area consisting of thousands of small islands. His father's plot of land was called De Koen, where Pieter helped as a child. His ambition was set: he would follow in his father's footsteps. His studies took him in the other direction, but eventually his path led to wine.

Experiment successful!

In the late 1990s, Pieter cautiously experimented with winemaking: first with vines in the greenhouse, then a few vines in the open ground. The results were promising. The first wines were bottled in 2006 and a large-scale planting in the northern part of the estate followed in 2008.

Everything in your own hands

From planting to vinification: Pieter has thought of everything. The vineyard is carefully laid out, the harvest is perfectly timed and processing is done in their own home. During the tour, we see silos and oak barrels where the wines mature quietly. Not a volume project, but thoughtful production with a focus on quality.

Afterglow

Pieter proudly displays their dessert wine Afterglow, made from the muscaris. The grapes are dried after harvest, leaving only a quarter of the weight. Fermentation brings it to around 10% of alcohol, with enough sugar for a sweet, fresh wine. Delicious glass, we understand that this wine is served in starred restaurants.

Recreational

By appointment, you can experience a High Wine on weekends: three glasses of wine with matching snacks, while Pieter takes you around the vineyard and tells you all about the grapes and the winemaking process. Quality over quantity, you will feel that with every sip.

View here the flim which Wine Estate De Koen engaged in, last winter.

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