Viticulture in the Netherlands
The viticulture in the Netherlands operates on a modest scale since the 1970s.
history
Viticulture in the Netherlands was documented for the first time in 968 AD, but it is believed that the Romans already successfully cultivated wine in the area of what is now the Netherlands. In the Middle Ages, viticulture was mainly concentrated in the region around Maastricht far south and the slopes of the Maas and Göhl . The introduction of beer , the deteriorating climate during the Little Ice Age , phylloxera and the conquest of the Netherlands by Napoleon practically destroyed viticulture, but the last vineyard near Maastricht was not given up until 1946.
In the 1970s, viticulture in the Netherlands experienced a renaissance , also due to the more favorable climate as a result of climate change .
Vineyards
In 2012, wine was grown on 190 individual sites with a total area of 250 hectares, and production amounts to almost 1.5 million bottles of wine. The vineyards are spread all over the country, but are mainly concentrated in the southern provinces of Limburg and Gelderland . The wine-growing regions of the Netherlands are assigned to wine-growing zone A within the EU .
Since 2003 the best wines in the Netherlands have been awarded by the Stichting Wijninstituut Nederland . Belgian wines have also been rated by the institute since 2012 .
Grape varieties
A law from 2009 regulates which grape varieties may be grown in the Netherlands. Preferred are cultivated varieties that are adapted to the cool climate of the Netherlands, to include the white varieties Riesling and Müller-Thurgau , among the red varieties Pinot Noir . In addition to the officially approved varieties, the varieties Cabernet Cantor , Cabernet Cortis , Cabertin , Pionotin , Monarch , Baron , Souvignier gris , Acolon , Cabernet Blanc and Riesel are being planted on a trial basis .
The following grape varieties are approved for viticulture in accordance with the ordinance (HPA Verordening Wijn 2009):
White
Auxerrois , Bacchus , Bianca , Chardonnay , Faber , Gewürztraminer , Hölder , Huxelrebe , Johanniter , Juwel , Kerner , Kernling , Merzling , Morio-Muskat , Müller-Thurgau, Orion , Ortega , Phoenix , Pinot Blanc , Pinot Gris / Ruländer , Rayon d 'or , Reichensteiner , Riesling, Sauvignon blanc , Scheurebe , Schönburger , Seyval , Siegerrebe , Silcher , Solaris , Sylvaner , Wurzer .
red
Cabernet Franc , Domina , Dornfelder , Dunkelfelder , Florental , Frühburgunder , Gamay , Landal 244 , Léon Millot , Maréchal Foch , Meunier , Pinot noir, Plantet , Portugieser , Regent , Rondo , Saint-Laurent , Triomphe d'Alsace , Zweigeltrebe .