How it all began ..

The story begins in 1990 when three friends: Rik Schreurs, Theo Pasque and Guido Geunis decide to give concrete form to their passion for winemaking. They start by planting some grapevines in their backyards. Guido Geunis, one of the founding friends, played an important role in the movement direction of their passion. With roots in the Champagne region, Guido spent considerable time as a child, with friends and family, in France. Each year he returned and met a number of Champagne farmers such as Petit Pol and Alain Guillame. The microbe of sparkling wine making germinated at this stage. Asking if he could get a few vines to come with him to Belgium, he received the answer, "You can try, but you'll never succeed anyway..." After a few years of experimentation, the opportunity arose to cultivate a piece of agricultural land with a southern slope in the Hoogveld in Jesseren. The three friends did not hesitate for a moment and realized their first joint vineyard of about half an acre.

After a while it was time to go pro ...

Each year the quality of their products improved and this did not go unnoticed. Several sommeliers were asked to sell a number of bottles. That's how the ball got rolling and soon the bottles were on the wine list in a number of top restaurants in Belgium under the name Champinnot, including; Het Hof van Cleve, de Karmeliet and Jardin Tropical.

The demand for, and the passion in making their wines became more and more important. Therefore the three friends decided to expand their vineyard. In 2009 they decided to create a private limited company. As the domestic cellars became too small to produce their products, they decided to move their production to a farm in Jesseren.

In the summer of 2008, a heavy hailstorm damaged most of the vineyard. The 2008 and 2009 harvests were less than 1/3 of the normal yield. In order not to sit still, the vinification of standard apples, a forgotten regional product, was started again. Dozens of different 'forgotten' apple varieties were supplied by Natuurpunt vzw, who manage the standard orchards. By fermenting the apple wine in the same way as sparkling wine, a very fresh sparkling aperitif was obtained. To this day it is better known as 'Apples and Pearls'.

Optimbulles is going "Sans Sulfites Ajoutés"

"Sans Sulfites Ajoutés" or "no added sulfites" is an important message a lot of modern wine makers are trying to tell. Sulfites have been long used to preserve wine's freshness and enhance its color and taste, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But with so many commercial wines using dozens of other undisclosed ingredients (as well as production manipulations), it's no wonder a bottle of wine can open up a Pandora's box of health issues. To reduce your risk of any potential side effects, be sure to research your wine and look for "no added sulfites" on the label.

We had the please of working with Optimbulles in order to create the first Belgian Brutal wine. But what exactly does it mean? Well, at first glance the name speaks for itself. It's a "100% Belgian Brutal" created and designed in this country. But the "Maximal" is also a reference to the actual creator of the wine, who is called Maxime. Such a nice guy. Please do pay them a visit. They have the most beautifull domain and offer great tastings.

Optimbulles - Wilde Wijn - Sauvignon Blanc 2019

"Delicious with fresh starters or simply on a sunny terrace"