We’re always up for trying something new, so instead of going to a music or dance festival on this first weekend of September, we decided to go to a wine festival.
A wine festival with the appropriate name of ‘Bacchus’. The Greek mythological figure also known as Dionysus, the ‘God of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy’ (thank you Wikipedia). Since we are your guide to enjoy the good things in life, good wine is an important element.
We weren’t very lucky with the weather when we headed to the Amsterdamse Bos yesterday. After an amazing lunch at Ron’s Gastrobar (more about it soon), we were already halfway, so at that point we didn’t want to be whiners but ‘winers’.
There wasn’t a big crowd, which we didn’t mind because it meant no queuing and the chance to take our time and explore the wines offered by the different wine shops and wholesalers.
How it works? You take a wine glass for a €2 deposit at the entrance and keep it with you. You stroll around the festival grounds and each time you find a wine of your liking you pay its amount of coins and get your glass filled. If you’re really fond of a certain wine you can also get a bottle.
Of course a glass of wine should be accompanied by food. From traditional cheese (Fromagerie Kef) to charcuterie (Brandt & Levie) on the side, to sea food (Zijpe Stijl) and complete 3-course dinners (Staets).
Bacchus wine festival is a cosy wine festival we definitely recommend wine lovers and foodies to visit this weekend (hopefully without the heavy rain showers like those we had on Friday). And we sure hope to do some ‘wining’ again next year!
Bacchus Wijnfestival
until Sunday September 6
Amsterdamse Bos (entrance through Bosbaanweg 5)
Amstelveen