Twenty-five years ago, it would have been unthinkable that wine would become a source of pride for Zeeland. Yet Johan and Paula van der Velde made this a reality with their wine estate, De Kleine Schorre.
Text: Marjolein Schuman | Image: Kleine Schorre
At the age of 18, Johan wanted to take over his father’s Brussels sprouts farm, but his father was sceptical. Thanks to some ideas from his neighbour Frits and a bottle of jenever, they decided to grow grapes instead.
Today, beautiful white and sparkling wines are produced on fourteen hectares of vineyards. Winegrower Johan: ‘We are the pioneers of a new wine-growing region. In fact, it’s only now, after all these years, that we realise we made the right choices regarding grape varieties and our winemaking style. But we continue to innovate, for example with grape varieties such as Souvignier Gris and Cabernet Blanc, alongside our classic varieties. Ageing in Slovenian barrels also gives the wines a slightly different and entirely unique character.’
Try it for yourself
The great thing is that you can experience all of this first-hand. There’s a lovely campsite on the estate, with the finest toilet and shower facilities we’ve ever seen. You can sleep amongst the vineyards in a giant wine barrel, or pitch your tent next to a private toilet block. If you book a guided tour of the vineyards and the wine cellar, you’ll get a real sense of what goes on at a wine estate like this. Afterwards, you’ll get to taste the wines. Our favourite is the Brut de Zélande, a blend of Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Rivaner. It goes wonderfully with a seafood platter to die for.
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