The production of wine in Limburg is a rich and centuries-old tradition. Ulestraten in Limburg is home to the oldest vineyards in the Netherlands, on the slopes of the Wijngaardsberg. These grounds date back as far as the year 968, when a Frankish king donated the area to the Abbey of Reims. For centuries, monks worked the vineyards until they had to escape from the French invaders in 1800. In the years that followed, the area remained uncultivated for a long time.
In 2002, the wine tradition was revived with the establishment of Domein de Wijngaardsberg by winemaker and owner Jules Nijst. The restart began with half a hectare planted with Pinot Gris and Auxerrois. The domain now covers three hectares and produces five different wines, with demand steadily increasing.
Restaurant Latour is proud to collaborate with Domein de Wijngaardsberg and serve their local quality wines, including the Auxerrois and Pinot Noir, to its guests. This collaboration also has a personal touch: Restaurant Manager – Head Sommelier Stan Kerckhoffs is from Meerssen in Limburg himself, near Ulestraten. By putting the wines on the menu, he symbolically brings a piece of his roots to Latour in Noordwijk.
Back to the basic
Stan still visits the domain regularly and during one of these visits also brought along Chef Kenny Friederichs. During an extensive tour of the vineyard and the winemaker’s production house, they gained valuable insight into the winemaking process and sparked ideas to not only serve the Limburg wines by the glass, but also to creatively incorporate them into preparations in the kitchen. This gives the collaboration between Latour and de Wijngaardsberg an extra gastronomic dimension.
Sustainable Development Goal:
The collaboration with Domein de Wijngaardsbergcontributes to SDG 12 – responsible consumption and production.