wine shops in Amsterdam?

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
1

Going to be in (h)Amsterdam for a few days and would like to pick up a bottle or two at some point. I would appreciate any rec’s for good wine places and/or restaurants. I’ll be going to the non-balla level of restaurant, so keep that in mind. [cheers.gif]

2

I can give you some good tips on some coffee shops [gen_fro.gif]

3

Chris -
We spent Apr-June living in a flat on the Reguliersgracht. I can recommend two nearby wineshops – van Bakel & Cave (Kerkstraat 383), just a few doors off the Utrechtstraat. He also has a cave somewhere with other wines, and seems to be a wholesaler to a lot of restaurants nearby. He has a good selection of soave and a favorite, Casalini Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, an unsually dry prosecco. And 2 restaurants just doors away on the Utrechtstraat, En de Keuken and Segugio http://www.segugio.nl/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Segugio’s winelist is on their website. We had the 2006 Giacosa Fratelli Barolo several times, Ronchi Barbaresco, & Massolino Nebbiolo, Poggio Antico Rosso off the list.

Hart’s Wijnhandel (on Vijzelstraat) is the second shop, just a few blocks away.

There is a terrific shop selling Belgian ales, directly across from Golem (4 Raamsteeg, near the Spuiplein) after making the requisite pilgrimage there.
Cheers

4

Thanks, Ed. I’ll try to check out your recommendations .

Tyler, probably won’t be partaking of any coffee. neener

Chris

5

Ed,

Well, I just went to van Bakel & Cave. WOW! Like every Amsterdam wine shop that I found, there’s not much there. However, I picked the brain of Ron Cave for a good two hours. What an experience! First, he’s a little off-putting because he’s clearly arrogant about his wine knowledge. But he’s so affable that you don’t care. He does know his stuff too. Much too well for me to clearly judge what level he’s even operating on. He teaches wine science courses at the university in Dijon, as well as helping dozens of former students with their current wine making operations.

We chatted about virtually every bottle he had in his store since he knew each wine maker intimately. Since he sells to many restaurants in Amsterdam, his tasting note procedures are extreme (he takes a note every 8 hours) and meticulous so that he can give the restaurant an exact description of how the wine will transform over 48 hours. I asked him if he published his notes anywhere but he says he has no time.

He admitted to me that he doesn’t enjoy drinking that much anymore, that he’s passionate about the “why” behind the taste/smell of whatever wine he’s currently consuming. The superficial pleasure of tasting and contemplation seems to be much less important to him. He’s truly the uber geek of wine geeks.

Ron has almost zero internet presence, but he would be an amazing contributor to this board if that were something that would ever interest him. It won’t, sadly for us.

Some of the best time I spent in Amsterdam.

Chris

6

Chris -
great story.
my first visit, i think he spent 30-40 minutes discussing the attributes of each of the prosecco and soave bottles that he carries, and the producers. that’s all that we got through.
I’m glad that shops like his can thrive.