In a country known for potatoes, sugar beets and onions, Bruno Suter has been planting vines on the island of Walcheren since 2021. Five hectares around a former fruit orchard. Over ten grape varieties on two different soils. A basket press, no pneumatic. And 2024 was his second production year, in the middle of a wet season where he still hit 65 percent of theoretical yield.
For Sparks episode 16 Bruno joined again, this time with the 2024 Chardonnay and Savagnin on the table, plus a mid-July update on the 2025 drought.
This episode was recorded in Dutch. Watch on YouTube with auto-translated subtitles via the link above.
Who is Bruno Suter
Bruno started Wijn de Boe in 2021 on a former fruit orchard on the Walcheren peninsula. First three hectares in 2021, one hectare in 2022, five hectares in 2023. He is not from Zeeland and chose the site for two reasons: the mild microclimate of Walcheren and two distinct soil types on a single property.
The business now mostly runs on him, with help from his parents and partner, plus weekend help from local students. A group of Syrian neighbors recently knocked to ask whether they could pick vine leaves for dolma. They turned out to bring serious vineyard experience from their home country, and Bruno is considering bringing them in for harvest.
Ten plus varieties for risk spreading
Bruno works with:
- Classic: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Précoce, Trousseau
- PIWI / hybrid: Souvignier Gris, Cabernet Blanc, Muscaris, Solaris, Savagnin, Voltis
The diversity serves two purposes. First, risk spreading during flowering. June 2024 was wet and windy, which caused 70 percent loss in some varieties. Others flowered just before or after the bad stretch and were fine. Second, labor distribution: not all grapes ripen simultaneously.
Unlike Bordeaux or Languedoc, Bruno is not bound by appellation rules. He can blend or bottle as monocépage as he sees fit. The only mandatory rule is food safety. Everything else is open territory.
Clay versus sand: same grape, different result
The plot tells a two-part story. On the western side, white sand sits 15 to 30 cm under a light loam top layer. On the east, deep clay all the way down to old marine clay. Most varieties are planted on both.
In 2024 Bruno had enough Pinot Gris for the first time to vinify the two soil types separately. Same yeast, same temperature, only the soil differed. The result:
- Pinot Gris on sand: lighter color, much more aromatic
- Pinot Gris on clay: more restrained nose, fuller and cloudier in the mouth
So the textbook holds, at least on this estate. In bottle the two stay together for the bulk of production, except for tasting room education. Listing “Pinot Gris sand”, “Pinot Gris clay”, and a regular Pinot Gris would only confuse customers.
2024: a wet production year
Bruno’s second production year was tough.
- April: light frost, smudge pots fired, 5 percent loss (in unprotected sections half the crop gone)
- June: flowering month, 30 percent overall loss from cold weather during bloom
- Summer: high disease pressure, no catastrophe thanks to careful canopy work
- Harvest: 15,000 bottles total, 65 percent of theoretical yield
Bruno noted that the rescue did not come from better farming. It came from variety selection. Grapes flowering at different times caught each other’s losses.
2024 cuvée line-up
For 2024 Bruno keeps variety:
Sparkling wines (5,000 bottles, made with Schaufelberger Sekt in Brauneberg):
- Rosé Brut from Pinot Noir and Pinot Précoce
- Blanc de Blancs from pure Chardonnay
- A more accessible style on Souvignier Gris and Muscaris
Still wines (10,000 bottles, all monocépage):
- Auxerrois
- Pinot Gris
- Chardonnay
- Savagnin
For 2024 he chose monocépages on purpose to see how each grape stands alone. Possibly back to blends next year. Each variety reached the quality bar to bottle solo.
The basket press
The cellar runs on a basket press, not a pneumatic. A static press where a lid pushes down over a few hours. Two reasons:
- Space: pneumatic presses are larger
- Juice quality: basket presses extract less juice (60 to 65 percent vs 70 to 72 percent), but cleaner. Fewer filtration steps needed
Plus you can see what is happening, which works better for the tasting room tour than a closed pneumatic balloon.
Tasting Chardonnay 2024
A touch of oak (65 percent on barrel, of which 10 percent new), but no vanilla or coconut from the wood. The barrels come from a Burgundy producer Bruno used to work with, all used, kept for the micro-oxidation effect rather than the flavor signature.
In the glass a clean color, not too dark. On the nose typical Chardonnay tones: lots of fresh apple, a hint of cut grass, a tropical edge, nectarine. The palate carries that signature Walcheren saltiness. The vineyard sits two kilometers from the sea, and the breeze leaves a mark.
Not the buttery Burgundy style. Restrained oak. Closer to Chablis than to Côte de Beaune on purpose. €19.50, 2,300 bottles produced, just under half sold to date.
Tasting Savagnin 2024
Bruno’s least accessible wine, and he says so openly. Savagnin from the Jura is already a discovery for many, here it gets a Walcheren twist.
Slightly lighter color than the Chardonnay. The nose lands on roasted apples with almonds, without the heavy weight of a real vin jaune. The palate offers complexity and round structure with a long finish. Bruno keeps the wine just shy of oxidation; one molecule of oxygen and the whole thing would disappear, in his words. The wine was made 100 percent in stainless because of limited volume.
Bruno is enthusiastic about Savagnin as a vineyard choice: grows perfectly upright (unlike Muscaris which sprawls everywhere), thicker skins, looser clusters, less rot prone. Picked end of October, one or two days after the Chardonnay. Only 660 bottles, around 60 left.
July 2025 drought update
Mid-July 2025 the season was already exceptionally dry. Just 120mm of rain in five months. The vineyard loses around 2 to 2.5mm of moisture per day to evaporation, so a 5mm shower disappears within two days.
Flowering this year went beautifully: sunny, low wind, good fruit set. No frost damage. Some younger vines (third growing year) struggle with the dry soil and need to root deeper. Bruno does not irrigate; he follows the French rule that after year two the plant has to manage itself.
The biggest surprise this year: powdery mildew pressure despite the drought. True powdery mildew (oidium) actually thrives on dry days and humid nights. Pressure has been high since late June. Counterintuitive, but locally well known.
Bruno’s tentative read: a strong volume year for 2025, provided September does not deliver torrential rain.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Pinot Gris on sand and on clay at Wijn de Boe? Same grape, yeast and temperature: sand produces a lighter, more aromatic wine with more fruit expression. Clay yields a more restrained nose but a fuller mouthfeel and cloudier texture.
When will Wijn de Boe reach full production? Around 2027 or 2028. Vines reach full bearing capacity roughly five years after planting. Bruno’s first plot from 2021 is hitting full theoretical capacity for the first time this year.
Does Wijn de Boe farm organically or biodynamically? Bruno does not formally label the operation organic or biodynamic, but uses minimal crop protection (depending on yearly disease pressure) and leans on PIWI varieties that need less spraying.
Can I visit Wijn de Boe? Yes, Saturdays around 13:30 or 14:00 a guided tour is offered (one per day). Sign-up via the website. Since this season the estate also runs a terrace with cheese boards and wine by the glass.
The bottles in this episode
Wijn de Boe Chardonnay 2024. Monocépage, 65 percent on used Burgundy oak (10 percent new), salty Walcheren signature, Chablis-leaning style. €19.50, 2,300 bottles.
Wijn de Boe Savagnin 2024. Monocépage, 100 percent stainless, complex profile, just shy of oxidative. 660 bottles produced, around 60 left. Not for everyone, but a real find.
More about Wijn de Boe
Visit wijndomeindeboe.nl for the webshop. Saturday tours by reservation, terrace open afterwards. Follow on Instagram for seasonal updates from the vineyard.
For the story behind the sparkling wines made by Schaufelberger Sekt: see Sparks episode 17 with Jochen Schaufelberger.
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