Loire — France

Domaine La Taupe

Begin 2000 Bertjan bought a parcel of vines from Bruno Allion, well known for his biodynamic wines in the Loire Valley. These were the beginnings of Domaine la Taupe. You can still see this history in some of the references he makes on the labels, such as 'AK 400' (Bruno's famous wine) and the  'Bruno, Bert & Co' (cuvée made in the beginning by Bert & Bruno together).

Domaine la Taupe achieves purity in their wines by avoiding pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers on their land. They add no yeast, no sulphur, and do not filter their wines. Their goal is to create the best wines in harmony with their plants and environment.

They have farmed organically since 1997 and biodynamically since 2007. They handle every step of the winemaking process by hand to craft authentic wines. Since 2002, they have had sheep running and grazing past the fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables in the vineyards to enhance biodiversity.

In 2017 his wife and kids moved to the Loire with him, since then Nicole also became his 'partner in wine'.