Dutch winemakers face uncertain harvest after promising summer
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Volunteers are busy harvesting grapes at Sint-Catharinadal winery in Oosterhout, Netherlands, as the country’s wine industry continues to grow.
The sisters who run the winery, a former monastery, turned to winemaking in 2014 after traditional crafts declined as a source of income. They see a connection between their spiritual values and cultivating a vineyard. The area dedicated to Dutch vineyards has more than tripled in the last two decades, increasing from 70 to over 240 hectares.
Last year, Dutch wineries produced nearly 1.6 million bottles of wine, a record amount. However, yearly success isn’t guaranteed, and recent weeks have presented challenges for vintners. Despite a hot summer that initially benefited the grapes, late-season rain and mist threatened the harvest. Wine expert Joep Speet explains that while dry summers are generally good, a lack of sun in the final weeks can reduce sugar content and flavor development in the grapes.
The quality of Dutch wine also depends on increasing knowledge among winemakers and the maturity of the vines themselves. Winemakers at Sint-Catharinadal found they had to remove many moldy grapes during the harvest, but still expect a good, if slightly smaller, yield than last year.
