Breda gets its own wine festival: Ontkurkt (and you’ll want to be there)
Brabant is the place to be for the really good parties. (As a Brabant native, I speak from experience.) And no, not just during carnival. I don’t blame you for not feeling like hopping through the muck in a stinky costume. What you should do instead? Come to Breda on the weekend of 7 June. That’s when Wine Festival Ontkurkt takes place, and I can assure you: you really don’t want to miss it.
In Amsterdam, we’ve been treated to Bacchus wine festival for years, but now there’s also a wine festival in the south of the country. Wine Festival Ontkurkt is the brainchild of Tom Cosijn and Maartje Dimmers. Tom also organizes the Hop On Hop Off festival in Breda: a festival all about craft beer. (Want to go too! Put it in your calendar: 5, 6 and 7 April at the Kunstijsbaan Breda.) Maartje is a seasoned wine expert. Both wine lovers wanted to put the wonderful product that is wine in the spotlight. On 7, 8 and 9 June, that’s exactly what will happen at Wine Festival Ontkurkt, in the heart of beautiful Breda.
Wine, food, dancing
Wine Festival Ontkurkt is for every type of wine lover. Whether you’re just getting to know wine or already know a great deal about it, you’re bound to be surprised. You’ll taste wines made from grapes and from regions that are still unknown here. Strike up a conversation with wine experts, who you can ask absolutely anything. And learn all about the best wine-and-food pairings. Because yes, there’s delicious food too. From Tony’s pizza to treats from the Zalmfabriek.
As evening falls and quite a bit of wine is flowing through your veins by then, your feet will naturally start moving. Luckily, that’s been taken care of too. There’s great music and plenty of space to let loose. A bonus: by early June, it’s practically summer. That means sunshine, long evenings and high temperatures. I know, we can never count on it completely, but I’m simply manifesting it.
‘t Zoet
Does Breda sound like a faraway journey to you? Getting there won’t be an issue: the festival takes place a 10-minute walk from the station. At Stadspark ‘t Zoet, an industrial site where Breda’s sugar factory used to stand. A residential neighborhood will soon be built here; for now, it’s an ideal festival site.
Dates and tickets for Wine Festival Ontkurkt
7, 8 and 9 June, that’s right. That’s when things are happening in Breda. Tickets cost €12.50 (excluding €0.99 service charges) and are available via wijnfestivalontkurkt.nl. You’ll receive a Wine Festival Ontkurkt wine glass and a welcome glass of bubbles. And then: let the wine flow! According to organizer Maartje, ‘by the end of the evening, things are allowed to get a little out of hand’, so we’ll be sure to remember that.
Also read:
- 10 ways to use that very last bit of wine (instead of drinking it)
- Chatobi: the new online wine shop that’s already our favorite
- A headache after one glass of red wine? Here’s why
Image: Wijnfestival Ontkurkt/Organisatiebureau De Kurk
