Grapes picked in the Pfalz arrive in Tegelen within three and a half hours, ready to be processed. No cooled trailer, no broker. Joni Sloesen drives the van himself, alongside German winemaking friends Dennis Wolf and Hannes Bergdoll, and inside an old ceramics factory he is building Zavel — a Dutch wine label that wants to be about what is in the bottle, full stop.
In Sparks by VinoVonk episode 24 I sat down with Joni over three bottles: Kerner 2023, Pinot Gris Barrique 11 (2023) and Pinot Noir 2022.
From hotel internship in South Africa to his own winery
Joni found his passion for wine during a hotel internship in South Africa. Back in the Netherlands he took WSET 2 and 3 with Jaap Heijmeijer at the NHTV hotel school. He started at a wine company in Amsterdam, but the urge for something of his own kept tugging. Lockdown gave him the time to commit.
The building in Tegelen that houses Zavel was a family ceramics factory for generations. His father now produces ceramics in Portugal. The Tegelen site stood idle until Joni turned it into a winery. Since 2021 he has four harvests behind him. On the same estate he runs restaurant Soberg, where vegetables from his own garden meet his wines on the plate.
Pfalz grapes, with a Dutch plan
South Limburg has a real cluster of Dutch winemakers. The rest of Limburg is scattered. Joni did not want to wait for his own vines to mature, so he turned to growers he had previously interned with: Dennis Wolf and Hannes Bergdoll in Vals (Pfalz). Both Demeter-certified, biodynamic.
In September or October the van rolls north, fully loaded with grapes. Three to three and a half hours, max. Short line, fresh fruit. Inside the ceramics building the cellar is ready.
Zavel is also building its own vineyards:
- 1 hectare in Baexem (Mid-Limburg), planted in 2024
- 300 Riesling vines around the estate in Tegelen, planted in 2021
The ambition is enough surface to harvest entirely from Dutch soil. Until then, the Pfalz grapes form the steady base.
Spontaneous fermentation, used wood, two amphora
Every bottle starts from the same template: spontaneous fermentation, no or minimal cultured yeast, no filtration, no fining, the lowest possible sulfite. A stainless line with colorful labels (Kerner, Dornfelder, Gewürztraminer pet-nat). A used-wood and amphora line with a clean, minimalist white label.
Wood is intentional. Barrels of 350 to 500 liters, almost always fourth fill or older. Only Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay see new oak. The family ceramic background runs through the cellar too: two cuvées rest in amphora, with plans for more.
Three bottles tasted
Kerner 2023 — €15
100 percent Kerner. Stainless. Label: a lemon, or a bergamot — you decide.
The nose lands on citrus and bergamot zest, a faint tropical edge, white peach and apricot. The palate is razor-sharp. Lime peel, ripe apple, a grapefruit-tinged bitter on the finish. High acidity that carries the wine without sharpness. Kerner is a Riesling × Schiava cross — a touch more tropical than straight Riesling, with the same vertical acidity underneath. Bulk blends often underrate this grape; at low yield it shines.
Pinot Gris Barrique 11 (2023) — €17
11 months on used wood, then bottled. Label: minimalist white, just “Zavel pinot gris barrique 11”. 13 percent alcohol.
In the glass a deep, golden hue. The nose opens on butter-roasted apple, pear, lemon, almond paste. That sounds like a road toward thick and sweet, but Joni brakes where many makers push. No new-oak vanilla. Creaminess from extended lees contact instead. The palate is round and full, yet trim with acid. Long finish, a whisper of rock candy without sweetness.
Joni finds Pinot Gris is not his favorite grape to work with — too easily fat, or aromatically over-styled. This bottle stays fresh, and that is the line he holds across the whole label.
Pinot Noir 2022 — €23
12 months in barrel, then a minimum of six months in bottle before release. The color is bright and lively. The nose hits ripe red fruit straight away: raspberry, ripe strawberry, a faint barnyard note in the back. That barnyard is no accident. Joni lets his reds carry a small reductive thread by topping barrels lightly. Just enough backbone for ageing. Give the glass air and the red fruit takes over.
The palate is juicy with light, present-but-not-heavy tannin. Decent body and good acidity. Not a sledgehammer Pinot, this is a Pinot for the table. At Soberg they pour it with celeriac and hazelnut, or with a wild-goose ravioli with sauerkraut and wild pear.
Watch or listen to the episode
Where to buy
Zavel ships through its own webshop (daily from April) across the Netherlands. Partners include:
- Designer Wijn (Amsterdam)
- Beneluxwines
- Wynspot (Amsterdam West)
- Henk (Rotterdam)
- Boots Albij (Dordrecht)
- Various restaurants, mostly fine dining
Visit zavelwijn.nl for the full range. Restaurant Soberg sits on the same estate in Tegelen.
Sources
- Wijndomein Zavel (official — Tegelen, NL): zavel.eu
- Vereniging Nederlandse Wijnproducenten: nederlandsewijnproducenten.nl
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