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His
love for wine was kindled many years ago by his brother, now
one of the leading experts in Holland. It is therefore not
surprising that when Jeroen decided it was time to return to
the world of business, he hit upon the idea of opening a wine
shop. Though there are already a few such shops on the island,
this is one with a difference. Most notably, he aims to stock
as many wines as possible from companies who are committed
to sustainable methods of production. This may mean, for example,
using grapes which are not sprayed with pesticides, or grown
on soil which is naturally enriched, rather than full of industrially
produced nitrates. It may also mean that wider environmental
issues, such as the need to restrict water usage, are taken
into account.
Some of the wines are labelled 'organic', and some companies
are still working towards achieving this status, which involves
very strict criteria, can be costly, but ultimately ensures very
high purity of the product. Those who have tried organic wine
in the past may have been very disappointed – as Jeroen
points out 'it is one thing to have the right ingredients, it
is quite another to know how to turn them into something special'.
But fortunately he has a 'hotline'. His brother tastes over 7,000
wines a year, and keeps Jeroen informed about the very best.
It is interesting that an increasing number of them happen to
be organic.
Jeroen
believes that the wine industry is going through some
big changes, and that 'the future of the industry lies
in organic production'. He also says that 'many big producers
now believe they can make a better product ecologically,
and are investing in organic research'. There is lots
of pride in the industry and many prizes to be won 'and
producers see that awards are increasingly going to organic
products'. They also seem to be aware that 'people are
getting more health conscious, and do not want to consume
unnecessary pesticides'.
In many other ways too, the industry is being forced to reinvent
itself: for example, due to climate change, the harvest of
many wines can be 2 weeks earlier than it was 10 years ago,
which can affect quality and taste dramatically – therefore
many producers are investing in higher grounds, modern techniques,
different grape varieties and new wine areas. Despite the
fact that in many countries, the industry has undergone a
struggle to survive, through not making these changes quickly
enough, many young people are now being attracted to come
on board, and are embracing the potential of these new approaches.
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It
certainly feels exciting to have here in Ibiza, a shop
selling wines which are on the cutting edge of the story:
environmentally, taste wise, health wise, and even price
wise. Jeroen is aware that 'it's easy |
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to
buy an excellent wine for 30 euros but it is much more difficult
to buy a good bottle for between 5 and 10 euros'. So he has
prioritised tracking them down, and 75% of his wines fall within
this range. He stocks wines from all over the world and presents
them in user friendly categories, such as: 'Stimulating and
Refreshing', 'Juicy and Fruity', 'Sultry and Seductive'...
Despite having expertise and experience at his disposal, Jeroen
shuns wine snobbery. His philosophy is that either you like
the wine, or you don't', and he positively welcomes people
to come in and taste. He understands that people may not want
to waste money on wines they don't know, and therefore wants
to make it easy on every front.
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Next
door to the shop is a little house, where he holds regular
wine tasting evenings – but be warned: his last event
was due to end at 9pm and in fact finished at 2.30am!
A
warm and relaxed welcome is always assured – and
now with Christmas coming, it would certainly be an excellent
time to stop by and share a tipple. • |
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Vino & Co.
Text: Helen Howard |
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