Winemaker:  Albert Meijer
Growing:  Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir
Established:  2000
Bottles:  10,000
Region:  Voeren, Belgium & Maastricht, Netherlands

If a wine label is worth a thousand words, then this squid is worth 70 million years. Back then, Belgium’s Voer Region sat at the bottom of a shallow ocean floor.

Nowadays, the area's home to cyclists, day hikers, and, thanks to the squid, a handful of up-and-coming vineyards.

Wijndomein Pietershof, founded in 2000 by cello-playing Dutchman Piet Akkermans, produces fresh, mineral-driven wines that are truly made in the vineyard.

Part of this relates to those prehistoric remains; limestone is responsible for the explosive minerality and flint acts to absorb and store heat in the summer.

Aside from the soil, south-facing vines situated in a warm microclimate help to achieve an award-winning limited production of 10,000 bottles per year.

Following the retirement of Akkermans, fellow Dutchman Albert Meijer has now taken over the role of head winemaker. He was a cardiologist in a past life, and remains focused on keeping Pietershof a boutique-style, small-production estate.

As of 2021, Wijndomein Pietershof is a two-country winery with vineyards in Belgium and cellar production in the Netherlands.