Maastricht and the region. A wine lover's paradise.
Whether you occasionally enjoy some wine or are a true expert, Maastricht is the place to be for wine sourced in Limburg. In recent years, a number of beautiful wineries opened in Maastricht, adding to the city’s range of excellent restaurants, wine bars, and traditional pubs. Thiessen Wijnkoopers, one of the oldest wine merchants in the Netherlands, is located in Maastricht's city centre. The authentic vaulted wine cellar, which dates back to the 14th century, has housed many special bottles over the centuries.
Barely a stone’s throw away from the city, you can explore narrow winding pathways, hills, and beautifully arranged grapevines. The South Limburg region is unique in the Netherlands, primarily as a result of the soil, which is rich in calcium and loess. The hills also absorb solar heat, ensuring that the temperature here is always slightly higher than it is in the rest of the Netherlands.
A little lesson in history
Dating back to the Roman era, the Dutch wine industry made way for other forms of agrarian production during the Middle Ages. It took until 1970 until the first grapevines were replanted on the southern hills of the Jeker Valley in Maastricht. Currently, this region has approximately 75 registered wineries, both big and small in size. In addition to white wines such as Auxerrois, Riesling, and Pinot Gris, a number of red wines are produced here.
Both the quality and the quantity of Dutch wines is on the rise, as domestic and foreign tests give Dutch wines increasingly higher ratings. In 2018, the Marl country (Mergelland) in Limburg was awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) by the European Union. The PDO is comparable to the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, a certification that is awarded for the production, processing, and preparation of wine according to recognized and verified standards. This ensures that consumers can expect high-quality wines that adhere to strict standards.
Wine-tasting sessions among the vineyards
A number of wineries in Maastricht offer tours and wine-tasting sessions, which are perfect ways to relax while learning more about wines and sampling some of them, of course. Below, we have listed a number of leading wineries in the area that are definitely worth a visit...
Wijngaard Apostelhoeve
True Dutch pioneers, this beautiful vineyard located just outside the city of Maastricht started producing wine in 1970. It is the oldest vineyard in the Netherlands and is located near the prestigious Château Neercanne, a picturesque area of Maastricht.
Hoeve Nekum
Hoeve Nekum vineyards, which border on the Louwberg hill, are also located within the Maastricht municipality and just a stone's throw away from Wijngaard Apostelhoeve in the Jeker Valley. The first historical mention of this farmstead dates back to 1304, but most of the castle-like farm was constructed around the year 1600.
Wijngaard Sint Martinus
These vineyards are located in the southernmost point of the Netherlands, close to the Drielandenpunt (three-country point) in the municipality of Vaals. This vineyard was created in 1988 and has expanded to encompass 16 hectares, making it the largest in the Netherlands. Stan Beurskens was the first winegrower to produce red wine in the Netherlands and boasts an impressive wine cellar that spans four floors. This vineyard began creating unique, sustainable, and internationally renowned wines in 1988.
Domein de Wijngaardberg
Domein de Wijngaardberg is situated in the Ulestraten – Schimmert – Meerssen triangle, which gives it a view of the Waterval village. Historical records indicate that Benedictine Monks from the Reims monastery in France produced wines at this very location for centuries. This vineyard therefore represents the earliest known evidence of wine production in the Netherlands, which dates back to 968 AD.
Some other wineries in Limburg
Domein Holset
Landgoed Sint Pieter
Landgoed Overst
Wijngoed Fromberg
Wijngaard Raarberg
Kasteel Genoelselderen (Belgian Limburg)
Cheers!
The Story of my Wine is a blog that hosts independent wine reviews, reports on visits to wineries, and reports on wine events across the globe. We have listed the best wines on an interactive, user-friendly map. Goswijn Simons founded this blog two years ago after successfully cultivating an Instagram page of the same name.