Green is golden
Amsterdam once again proves that green is golden. The brainchild of Peter van Rhoon, Green Is Golden is a natural wine event and organic movement celebrating sustainable farming and production. I had the pleasure of meeting Peter a couple of years ago at Vi.no.so, where we had an engaging discussion about farming in Holland and the farmers' protests. Passionate about organic and sustainable practices, Peter champions a "beyond sustainable" approach to food and the planet, supported by the chefs and winemakers involved.
The event, held at De Hallen, was a well-organized affair featuring masterclasses and talks throughout the day. Spanning two days, Saturday was open to the public and bustling with activity, while Monday was reserved for professionals and much quieter. While some winemakers I spoke to sold a bit of wine and were quite happy, it felt like the event could have been condensed into one day for greater impact.
Amaracmand - Emilia Romagna, Italy
Azienda Agricola Bertolino -Sicily, Italy
BaiasWine -Imereti, Georgia
Bertram Baltes -Ahrtal, Germany
Bushgirl - Langenberg mountains, South Africa
Champagne Clément et fils - Congy, France
Champagne Oudiette -Champagne, France
Dassemus- North Brabant, Netherlands
Domaine La Grapp’A - Arbois, France
Domaine Milan -Provence, France
Domaine Motz -Alsace, France
Domaine Thillardon -Beaujolais, France
Dussart Pedrón -Utiel-Requena, Spain
I Mandorli - Upper Maremma, Italy
Johannes Trapl - Carnuntum, Austria
Julien Sunier - Beaujolais, France
Lagar do Vento - Galicia, Spain
Manavi - Manavi, Georgia
Marco Merli - Colli Altotiberini, Italy
Masseria La Cattiva - Apulia, Italy
Mouzon Leroux - Champagne, France
Old Boy Wine Négociant - San Bonifacio, Italy
Orsi Vigneto San Vino -Colli Bolognesi, Italy
Pivnica Čajkov -Nitra, Slovakia
Raphaëlle Guyot - Yonne, France
Ronco Severo - Friuli, Italy
Sauvella - Pyrenees, Spain
Stefan Buchmayer - Pillersdorf, Austria
Štemberger Wines - Karst, Slovenia
Terrae Laboriae - Campania, Italy
Torre degli Alberi - Lombardia, Italy
Vinho Chinado - Alcobaça, Portugal
Weingut Bergdoll - Pfalz, Germany
Wijndomein Oude Waalstroom -Huib Overmars, Netherlands
Yoigokochi - Heerenveen, the Netherlands
Den Hallen
Set in De Hallen, located in Amsterdam Oud-West, an up-and-coming trendy area. The space was formerly an old tram depot, taken over by squatters in 2010 after the workshop closed. It has since been renovated into a large, spacious venue housing meeting rooms and a vibrant food hall.
A wonderful setup by the team, with meeting rooms hosting masterclasses ranging from sake training to champagne tasting.
Dassemus
A winemaker based in South Holland, growing varieties suited to the climate. They take a pragmatic approach with tried-and-tested methodologies and farming practices, being well-versed in managing early spring frost in this challenging farming area. The vineyard mainly uses hybrids such as Solaris, Chaams Genoegen, Rondo, and Cabernet Cortis.
Ce n’est pas un orange! The wine I tasted and pictured here was fantastic—80% Souvignier Gris and 20% Muscaris, with 25 days of skin contact and zero added sulphites.
Pivnica Čajkov
Hailing from the Slovakian Nitra region, Marek, an oenology graduate, has spent over 20 years transitioning from conventional to natural winemaking—and you can taste the difference in his well-crafted natural wines.
The Tecton, made from a mix of Alibernet, Frankovka, and Devín, was really enjoyable with a nice, spicy character. Their rosé pét-nat was also excellent!
Unfiltered Sake.
This lovely sake was unfiltered , probably my favorite of the day , Notes of barley rusk.
Imported by Yoigokochi Sake , staring in the early 2000’s in Kyoto after the founder fell in love with sake whilst studying Japanese there , these guys supply sake all over Europe.
https://yoigokochi.eu
Champagne Workshop by L’ Atelier du Champagne
L’ Atelier du Champagne, located in the heart of Amsterdam is probably the ultimate destination for champagne lovers.
