From apples and pears to grapes. It seems a small step, but for Peter Nijskens it was a deliberate alternative to give his family business a new future. Today, Peter is the proud owner of Gloire de Duras, a beautiful wine estate in the shadow of Duras Castle.
Peter planted his first vines in 2015, on 1.25 hectares in Wilderen near Sint-Truiden. Waiting for a revival of the waning fruit business involves too many risks. Of course, you don't stamp a wine business out of the ground in 1, 2, 3. As a fruit grower, Peter naturally has a leg up, but when it comes to complex aspects of winemaking, he counts on oenologist Hans Van Nyen. Meanwhile, the vineyards cover 6.5 hectares of sandy loam soil, with 4,000 bushes per hectare. About 80 acres is a walled kitchen garden of the Chateau de Duras, nearby. There Peter planted Riesling. This sets it apart from the Chardonnay in the Clos d'Opleeuw, that other 'clos' in Limburg. Moreover, the soil there is a bit sandier and Riesling grapes like that.