Rotterdam Urban Winery: Wine from Saved Grapes
News News blog
The Rotterdam Urban Winery (RUW) is taking an innovative approach. It transforms unsellable table grapes into unique wine. In doing so, Rotterdam’s first urban winery actively combats food waste. The city serves as RUW’s source for its wine with an urban terroir.
Combating Food Waste
Food waste is a major social problem. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest importer of grapes. Every year, millions of kilograms of grapes end up in the trash there. Until now, no one has utilized this surplus. The United Nations aims to halve food waste by 2030. The Rotterdam Urban Winery is helping to achieve this ambitious goal.
The path to sustainable winemaking
Making wine from table grapes is no easy task. Table grapes differ significantly from wine grapes. However, intensive testing has shown that with the right care, they can produce interesting wines. The project required a substantial budget and a great deal of perseverance. Securing funding proved difficult. After receiving a CityLab010 grant in 2022, it took over a year to secure innovation financing from Rabobank. This highlights the hurdles faced by sustainable projects that do not involve high-tech or intellectual property. Despite setbacks and a three-year struggle, including personal challenges such as a pandemic and a company bankruptcy, the founders held fast to their vision.
The First Wines and the Future
Now, Rotterdam Urban Winery is presenting its first wines: a crisp white wine, a full-bodied red wine, and a rosé. All three impress with a unique character and an eye-catching label.
In the fall of 2024, RUW will open its circular economy winery. It is located in the basement of the Keilepand in the M4H area, Rotterdam’s old fruit ports. This location is ideal: close to the city yet in the rugged port area. The wine lab will serve as a testing ground for various grape varieties and winemaking methods. These include barrel aging, the Méthode Champenoise, and carbonic maceration. The winery will also be a venue for tastings and special wine experiences.
Where can you find the wine?
The wine is available online on the Rotterdam Urban Winery website. Since fall of 2024, visitors have been able to taste and purchase the wines directly at the new winery in Rotterdam. The Rotterdam Urban Winery combines enjoyment with sustainability and demonstrates how to creatively combat waste.
