Nature takes center stage. It's our most crucial ingredient. Because terroir is so vital for the wine's flavor, we tend to our vineyard in the most environmentally friendly manner possible. Both in the vineyard and in the winery, we are minimalists who aim to let the grapes express themselves fully with minimal interference. Let the place and the soil speak for themselves.

Letting nature take its course 

As a vineyard team, we are deeply interested in regenerative or restorative agriculture. It's a sustainable approach where nature gradually restores itself. Intensive agriculture has propelled society forward significantly but is increasingly showing its limitations. We want to give nature a chance to regain balance, and we do so by keeping everything covered and minimizing mowing. Additionally, we deliberately plant trees, hedges, and herbaceous strips. We leave the soil untouched and integrate animals and homemade compost into our system.  

“We want to be able to play with all the elements of nature, because that's the essence of winemaking.” 

Because vines only reach their best around their twentieth year, the soil must endure for just as long. Therefore, we aim for minimal disruption of the ecosystem by minimally hoeing the ground, using only natural fertilizers, and striving for as closed cycles as possible. 

To prevent diseases, we primarily work preventatively using natural protective measures. We opt for manual vineyard management as much as possible. We proceed with precision, handle the vines delicately, and adjust our approach to the individual growth conditions. Each vine is cared for separately.

 

Natural protection

Every year in the vineyard, we sow a mixture of flowers to naturally add nitrogen to the soil, increase its load-bearing capacity, and prevent soil erosion.

This "flower competition" of daisies, clovers, violets, forget-me-nots, speedwells, yarrow, brunel, marigolds, and plantains also inhibits the vigor of the grapevines, resulting in higher-quality grapes. The abundance of flowers comes as an added bonus, free of charge. 

Falcon nests and beehives are small interventions that bring necessary activity to the vineyard and contribute naturally to its balance. Falcons deter mice and small grape-loving birds, while bees pollinate flowers and even provide us with our own Valke Vleug honey as an extra benefit.

 

Ecological value 

We compost pruning greenery, branches, pomace, and other organic waste to close the loop as much as possible and maintain the nitrogen balance. Through green manure with herbs and plants, we reduce the need for fertilization and ensure a healthy soil. Half of our aisles are only rolled flat and not mowed, thus maintaining the insect population. By keeping the soil covered and minimizing mowing, we give the soil a chance to extract nutrients from the atmosphere.  

Terroir wines 

Even during the winemaking process itself, we aim to stay as close as possible to nature and its original aromas. We believe in letting nature and the process speak for themselves, without influencing the taste and aroma. By intervening as little as possible, the wine's uniqueness or terroir will shine through much better. Variations between vintages and cuvées are the logical result of this approach, but that's what makes winemaking so fascinating.

The quality of our terroir wines is the best evidence of this philosophy.