Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre

The Netherlands

"A bottle of genever persuaded my father to grow grapes here instead of vegetables..."

One of the largest Dutch vineyards

Of all twelve provinces in the Netherlands, the southern province of Zeeland has the most hours of sunshine. No wonder that besides us, also lots of tourists like to visit the series of islands and peninsula’s that make up this province. The northernmost peninsula is named Schouwen-Duiveland.

Instead of going for a swim, sailing or sunbathing, we decided to visit beautiful winery Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre. With its ten hectares it is one of the largest vineyards in the Netherlands and located right outside the village of Dreischor. A beautiful, small and authentic ring village with a church in the center and surrounded by a moat.

Growing grapes in the Netherlands

Winemaker Johan van de Velde is the 4th generation on this farm where they used to grow potatoes and onions. The old farm even has an original black-tarred barn that dates back to 1735.

The farming business was not so good anymore at the end of the century and taking over the business from his parents could be a bit risky. A conversation with a neigbour over a good bottle of genever persuaded his father to look at the possibilities of growing grapes.

Wine pioneering in the province of Zeeland

Knowing nothing about grapes or wine is quite an obstacle when starting a winery so Johan went to study for three years at Luxembourg winery Cep d’Or. In 2001 the construction of the vineyard began and nowadays his entire life revolves around winegrowing.

The choice was made to plant classic white grape varieties like Rivaner, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. That decision turned out quite well. The white wines of De Kleine Schorre are perfectly suited to the great produce Zeeland is able to offer such as mussels, oysters, lobster and flounder. It’s also worthwhile to know that Wijnhoeve De Kleine Schorre has been supplying wines to KLM business class for a number of years now.

The old black-tarred barn holds a tasting room and the winery also has a shop that offers more than just wine. Local products like cheese, fruit juice, tea, chutney, candy and also craft beer from the province of Zeeland are available in the cosy little shop.

Good reasons to visit Zeeland

So the Province of Zeeland offers you not just quality wines and great seafood, but also beaches, sunshine and all kinds of water sports. When visiting the peninsula of Schouwen-Duiveland, visit the famous storm barriers, the Delta Works, that were built to prevent another flood like the disastrous one in 1953. The Flood Museum is located in Ouwerkerk, not far from Dreischor. At Delta Park Neeltje Jans you cannot only visit the storm surge barrier inside, but it also holds an aquarium, sea lions and seals and even various fun water attractions.

Updated: 20-11-2024