Harold Hamersma: The Man Behind the Numbers on Your Wine Bottle

Ever grabbed a wine bottle in a Dutch supermarket purely because of a number on a little shelf tag? You’re not alone. Those “8.5” or “9” ratings guide millions of wine purchases across the Netherlands every year, yet most people couldn’t tell you the name of the man behind them.

Meet Harold Hamersma. At 70, this Amsterdam native has spent four decades quietly shaping how an entire nation drinks wine. In a recent episode of the VinoVonk podcast series “Sparks,” host Jeroen sits down with Hamersma for an intimate, occasionally irreverent conversation that reveals both the remarkable influence of this self-taught critic and some fascinating contradictions in his approach.

From Bag-in-Box to Bible

Hamersma’s wine journey didn’t begin in French châteaux or Italian vineyards—it started with bag-in-box wine from Albert Heijn in 1970s Amsterdam. Growing up in the working-class Pijp neighborhood, literally “under the smoke of the Heineken brewery” as he describes it, Hamersma’s first wine was a budget brand called Pinar.

“Fifty years ago, I started drinking wine from boxes,” he laughs during the interview. “Now the whole world is running after them.”

What began as a teenage rebellion against his father’s beer-crate drinking parties evolved into something much bigger. Hamersma bought his first typewriter at 13 with money earned by collecting old newspapers—he weighed 65 kilos, the typewriter weighed 65 kilos, and it cost 65 guilders. That passion for writing and wine eventually merged into a career that would influence millions of Dutch wine buyers.

Hamersma never completed formal vinology training. He’s entirely self-taught, having built expertise through relentless tasting and studying over the course of 40 years. His database now contains 50,000 to 60,000 wines—the Netherlands’ most comprehensive wine reference, built one bottle at a time.

The Rating System: Smart, But Missing Something

Hamersma’s methodology makes intuitive sense. Wines are evaluated based on color, aroma, taste, and finish, and then compared within their respective price category. An albariño at €15 gets judged against other €15 albariños, not against €30 bottles. Fair enough.

However, there’s an elephant in the tasting room. When pressed about giving lower scores, Hamersma is refreshingly blunt: “Why would you buy a wine I gave a 3? I have my hands full writing about delicious wines.”

It’s an honest answer that reveals both a strength and a limitation. While his positive-only approach creates an encouraging, accessible experience for consumers, it means you’re getting recommendations, not warnings. There’s no critical counterbalance—you won’t find Hamersma telling you which wines to avoid. Whether that’s wine criticism or wine cheerleading depends on what you’re looking for.

That said, his focus on accessible wines hits the mark for his audience. Get this: only 3% of Dutch wine buyers purchase bottles over €10. Hamersma knows his market.

Drinking Less, But Better—Finally

The conversation sharpens when discussing trends. “We’re drinking less wine in the Netherlands, but drinking better quality,” Hamersma notes, and frankly, it’s about time.

There’s a broader shift happening too—a return to European wines from Germany, Spain, and Italy. Hamersma attributes this partly to environmental awareness (shorter transport distances) and partly to economic protectionism. The days of automatically reaching for New World wines are waning.

On alcohol-free wine, though? Hamersma doesn’t mince words. While acknowledging technical improvements, especially in sparkling and white categories, he admits: “I don’t jump for joy with a ‘wow.’” He’s notably more enthusiastic about alternatives like Sparkling Tea Company, which doesn’t try to imitate wine but creates something genuinely different and enjoyable.

His personal drinking habits mirror modern moderation: three alcohol-free days per week, only three glasses on drinking days. “We’re getting older,” he explains matter-of-factly. “You need more time to process it physically. I don’t want to sweat at night or sleep poorly.”

Watch the Full Interview

The complete conversation offers so much more—from Hamersma’s brilliant apartment building wine-sharing system (he texts neighbors when opened bottles are available) to his memories of Hubrecht Duijker, the writer who first inspired his wine obsession. You’ll also hear his thoughts on the bocksbeutel bottle’s terrible design (“doesn’t fit in wine racks, crashes down and breaks everything below it”) and why he sometimes returns wines to supermarkets with notes saying “check your whole batch.”

The Hamersma Effect

You might question whether publishing only positive ratings serves the whole purpose of wine criticism—I certainly do. But there’s no questioning Hamersma’s impact on Dutch wine culture. His mission was never to impress sommeliers or serve trade publications. It was to help everyday people enjoy better wine without intimidation or pretension.

In achieving that goal, he has succeeded remarkably. Whether his approach represents the future of wine criticism or a uniquely Dutch phenomenon is an open question. Either way, those numbers on supermarket shelves aren’t going anywhere soon.

Watch the full VinoVonk interview for Hamersma’s unfiltered opinions, charming storytelling, and insights into four decades of Dutch wine evolution. You’ll understand why, even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably been following his advice for years.