Nuns from a Dutch monastery are taking to the Internet to sell over 60,000 bottles of wine produced in their vineyard. Find out how they managed to attract media attention and improve the image of Dutch wine.
The wine revolution of the nuns of Sint-Catharinadal
In the monastery of Sint-Catharinadal in the Netherlands, the nuns have found an original solution to sell their excess wine production: an Internet campaign. Their initiative quickly became a buzz among the Dutch mediawhich hastened to relay this unusual story.
Global warming helped bring in a bumper crop last year. According to the predictions of Sister Mary Magdalene, who shared her impressions in a video, they could produce over 60,000 bottles of wine. As reported by The Guardian newspaperthe monastery launched its vineyard in 2014 to support itself financially, but without much success so far.
Affordable, quality wine at the click of a button
With the support of local farmers' groups, the nuns are now selling their wine online. Their catalog includes cases of their 2022 white blend made from auxerrois, pinot blanc and pinot gris, or a pinot noir/gamay rosé, at €14.50 a bottle, according to the British newspaper. Thibaud van der Steen, co-founder of Breda Maakt Mij Blij – an organization that helps producers, farmers and breeders sell their surplus – confirmed that nearly 5,000 bottles have already been sold thanks to this campaign.
Interviewed by the Dutch media, one of the sisters explained their choice of wine over beer: “Beer didn't seem very appropriate in a convent. “Wine is more appropriate, it is biblical and refers to Jesus,” she added. The nun was keen to defend the quality of their production, saying that “there is a misconception that Dutch wine is not good, but nowadays it is almost always quality, and this is a wine with a story”. Although they want to sell their entire production, the nuns admit that they wouldn't mind enjoying a glass of their “sacred grape” from time to time.
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