De Reestlandhoeve Wine Estate

The Netherlands

"By means of classical music we influence the vines."

Turning a problem into an opportunity

The Reest Valley is known for its peace and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The winding Reest River flows through the landscape here like a lifeline. In this beautiful part of the Netherlands, John Huisman took over his parents' dairy farm. Together with his wife Wilma, he turned it into an organic dairy farm until disaster struck and he suffered a severe hernia.

He was advised to switch to another type of job. However, this challenge also presented an opportunity to put a new spin on the business. Eventually they came up with the, perhaps not the most obvious, idea of starting a vineyard. Problem solved!

Dutch organic wines

At De Reestlandhoeve Wine Estate, they strive to make organic wines. For this reason, modern, hybrid grape varieties such as Johanniter and Solaris were planted to make white wines. Johanniter is one of the most successful grape varieties in the Netherlands. It is a versatile variety that produces both dry white wines and high-quality sparkling wines.

Regent and Muscat Bleu are used at De Reestlandhoeve for making red wines. Regent is a popular choice for making Dutch red wines and full-bodied rosé wines.

The grapes are grown organically and biodynamically as much as possible. This means, for example, that they do not use artificial fertilizers or chemical herbicides.

Serenading grapes with classical music in the vineyards

Wilma is also trained as a classical homeopath and that has everything to do with the the music you hear while walking in the vineyard. Homeopathy has to do with frequencies, which are linked to music. So the use of baroque music in the vineyard is not just an aesthetic choice but above all an analytical one.

Research shows that certain sound vibrations and frequencies can have a positive influence on plant growth. Does it influence the taste of their wines at all? You'll have to judge for yourself!

Visiting Reestdal valley

De Reestlandhoeve Wine Estate is located on the provincial border of Overijssel and Drenthe in ‘Het Reestdal’, the valley of the river Reest. Local provincial authorities preserve large stretches of nature in this area because of its unique and unspoilt character.

Meadows, historical farms, forests… experience this beautiful rural and peaceful part of the Netherlands by bike or go for a walk. Nearby you find cities like Dedemsvaart, Hoogeveen and Hardenberg that received city rights already in 1362! 

Updated: 30-03-2025