Vineyard De Herten

The Oostkamp horticulturist Marino Moenaert firmly believes in viticulture for the Bruges region. As a true wine pioneer, he currently manages grape plantations in Oostkamp and Koekelare. In the spring of 2014, De Herten received 1,300 grape plants.

“In days gone by, wine was also grown in the Bruges region. I want to revive this tradition. Some top restaurants have already shown interest in my wines, which I want to bring to the market from 2017.”

At Syntra West in Ypres, the very first Winegrower-Winemaker course participants received their certificate. One of those students is horticulturist Marino Moenaert from Oostkamp. In addition to his horticultural activities, he has been working as a winegrower for several years and in a few years he wants to market his own wines. "This certificate is not a legal requirement, but it does look more professional if you want to commercialize your wine," says Moenaert. He tells his story today in De Krant van West-Vlaanderen.

Inspired by his grandfather, who grew grapes in his conservatory, Marino planted his first modest vineyard next to his home in June 2010. It went fast ever since. "At the request of project developer Luc Beke, I planted another 235 vines on his domain at De Cellen castle in 2012 and another 1,050 copies at his De Herten castle in 2013," says Marino. "Both castles are located at the entrance and exit complex of the E40 in Oostkamp. The soil contains iron sandstone, which is excellent for grape plants. In the spring of 2014, another 1,300 grape plants were added to De Herten and in the same period I also planted 2,100 specimens on the Ruidenberg in Koekelare. At these locations I grow, among other things, mold-tolerant wine varieties, new varieties such as Johanniter and Rondo, which are still little known to the public. For my dry white wine I also chose Pinot Gris and Auxerrois. wine, the choice fell on the Rondo grape, originally a Czech variety. The grape variety must be easily recognizable in the end product. That purity is essential for me. I now manage 4,850 vines in total and I want to stick to that. is very labour-intensive and I certainly want to be able to do this on my own, with the help of my wife, of course. ed.) Hans Van Nyen."

Winegrower Marino Moenaert firmly believes in quality viticulture in the Bruges region. "Wine was also produced here in bygone times. But that tradition has disappeared due to various factors. It is my intention as a pioneer to breathe new life into this tradition. The region is ideal for certain grape varieties, provided that a good orientation and soil composition "We also benefit from the sea here, which has a moderating effect during the winter. Our tame desert buzzard Navarra keeps the birds at bay. In time, the bird of prey will commute between my vineyards to keep birds at bay."

In two years' time, Marino Moenaert wants to launch his wine on the market. "My grape plants are still too young at the moment, but by 2017 I want to phase out my horticultural activities in favor of small-scale, commercial wine production under the Houtlandse Wijnbouw label. Some sommeliers, such as those of De Karmeliet and L'Assiette Blanche in Bruges, are already interested 200 liters of wine is currently resting in my cellar. The intention is that each plant will eventually yield one bottle of wine of 75 centilitres. But making quality wine simply takes a lot of time and patience. It cannot be compared to brewing beer, where everything can be commercialized much faster," concludes Marino.

Willem Vandenameele