Château Bon Baron

Belgium

"Since two decades there is a renaissance of winemaking in Belgium."

Belgian wine is not something new

Just like in the southern Dutch province of Limburg, winemaking is nothing new in the Walloon region of Belgium. Historical evidence shows that winemaking near the village of Profondeville, where the vineyards of Château Bon Baron are located, dates back to as far as 1018.

The reasons why winemaking in Belgium and the Netherlands disappeared for a long time are also identical. A small ice-age in the 17th century didn’t exactly help the climatological conditions for winemaking. Furthermore during the regime of Napoleon, many large vineyards were uprooted for protection of French wines. Finally the Phyloxera disaster wiped out the last vineyards that were left over.

Vines in one the vineyards of Belgian winery Château Bon Baron

Rebirth of Belgian wines

Château Bon Baron is one of the Belgian wineries that turned the tide in the Walloon region. The vineyards are situated in the beautiful valley of the river Meuse, not far from Dinant. We met up with winemaker Jeanette van der Steen and her husband Piotr who went in a very short timeframe from amateur winemakers to winning medals at international competitions. Besides winning medals they also achieved AOP ‘Côtes de Sambre et Meuse’ status for some of their wines.

Belgian winemaker Jeanette van der Steen, owner of Château Bon Baron

Wine barrel in the cellar of Château Bon Baron

Vineyards of Château Bon Baron in the valley of the river Meuse

Bon Baron vineyards and varieties

Jeanette and Piotr take into consideration the great diversity and mineralogy of the soil, the local climatological and micro-climatological information and their own personal diverse taste. Because of their obsession with pairing food and wine and the chemistry between the dish and the wine, they produce in three different vineyards fourteen different grape varieties!

For producing white wines the planted grape varieties are a.o. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Muscat and Müller Thurgau. For red wines they chose varieties like Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Précoce, Cabernet and Acolon. The Belgian wines are being produced organically, so there are no pesticides, herbicides or insecticides being used.

The Citadel, a fortress with a breathtaking view over Dinant.

Visiting the valley of the river Meuse

The vineyards of Château Bon Baron are situated just north of Dinant in the beautiful valley of the river Meuse. Can we do a tasting? Yes, of course! You can do a tour and a tasting, just make sure you apply by phone or email before heading over to the winery.

And there are more culinary producers for you to visit in this area: breweries, a chocolate atelier, an ostrich farm and even a snailery! The Citadel of Dinant, a fortress with a breathtaking view over Dinant and the valley is also definitely worth visiting.

Updated: 04-11-2024

Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen

Wine Castle Genoels-Elderen in the Belgium province of Limburg has foundations that date back to Roman times. In 1990 this impressive winery started the renaissance of winemaking in Belgium.

Wijngaard Apostelhoeve

Apostelhoeve wine estate, the oldest commercial vineyard in the Netherlands is located in the south, in the province of Limburg. The first vines were planted in 1970 where apple and pear trees once grew.

Domein De Wijngaardsberg

Winemaking in The Netherlands, some new and foolish idea? Be surprised... the oldest evidence of winemaking in The Netherlands can be found in the southern province of Limburg.