NetherlandsAmsterdam
Curated by Michele Edington, Certified Sommelier
Amsterdam gives you a surprisingly fun introduction to Dutch wine, with bright cool-climate whites, serious traditional-method bubbles, unusual grapes and enough jenever culture to keep the afternoon interesting.
At a glance
Wine snapshot
Dutch whites tend to lean fresh and aromatic, with green apple, citrus, pear, white flowers and stone fruit showing up often. Souvignier Gris can carry more body and texture, Johanniter can feel a little Riesling-like, and Solaris brings ripe fruit easily in a cooler climate. Reds from Cabernet Cortis and Pinotin can move toward cherry, dark berries, spice and oak, while sparkling wine might be the category I’m most excited about here because all that natural acidity has somewhere very useful to go.
Beyond the wine glass
The Netherlands is world-famous for pilsner-style lagers (Heineken, Amstel) and for jenever (Dutch gin), a spirit with juniper, grain, and spice notes. Dutch beer is crisp, clean, and food-friendly; jenever is traditionally sipped neat or in cocktails. Both have centuries of tradition.
Order a 'biertje' (small beer) with a 'borrel' (jenever chaser) at any brown café—it's the classic Dutch ritual and often cheaper than wine. Try a 'kopstoot' (jenever with a beer back) if you're feeling adventurous.
Common questions
- What wine is Amsterdam known for?
- Dutch whites tend to lean fresh and aromatic, with green apple, citrus, pear, white flowers and stone fruit showing up often. Souvignier Gris can carry more body and texture, Johanniter can feel a little Riesling-like, and Solaris brings ripe fruit easily in a cooler climate. Reds from Cabernet Cortis and Pinotin can move toward cherry, dark berries, spice and oak, while sparkling wine might be the category I’m most excited about here because all that natural acidity has somewhere very useful to go.
- What grapes are grown around Amsterdam?
- Souvignier Gris, Johanniter, Solaris, Cabernet Cortis, Pinotin, Auxerrois, Riesling.
- Why is Amsterdam a notable wine stop?
- The Netherlands now has a growing collection of protected wine areas, including BGA Noord-Holland, BGA Limburg and several BOB zones such as Mergelland and Maasvallei Limburg. Amsterdam gives cruise travelers an easy place to taste across those regions in one stop, while still having its own tiny vineyard and urban-winemaking scene nearby.
- Is Amsterdam a wine destination?
- The Netherlands is world-famous for pilsner-style lagers (Heineken, Amstel) and for jenever (Dutch gin), a spirit with juniper, grain, and spice notes. Dutch beer is crisp, clean, and food-friendly; jenever is traditionally sipped neat or in cocktails. Both have centuries of tradition.
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Nearby winery
Wijngaard de Amsteltuin
Local label terms, decoded
Inside the Amsterdam guide
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