Silver Cross Winery
Wijngoed Zilver Cruys

A vineyard in Flanders Fields? This winery is turning the impossible possible whilst paying its respects to the First World War.

If you’re planning a visit to Ypres Salient, make a stop at the Silver Cross wine estate to take a tour of the vineyards and be let in on the secrets of the wine cellar. Of course, tastings are available and you can pick up a bottle or two to take home.

History: In case you didn’t know, the Ypres Salient around Ypres was the scene of many battles during the First World War and an extremely important part of the Western front. The winery is named after the 15-metre high cross of reconciliation that stands in front of the estate, where the first poisonous gas attack of World War I took place on 22 April 1915. The owner and winemaker at Silver Cross has close family connections to the war, and the goal at the winery is “respectfully making unique products in a unique location.”

Challenges: They say that viticulture (the harvesting of grapes) above 50° latitude is virtually impossible. Silver Cross is located at exactly 50° so it’s actually one of the most northern commercial vineyards in Europe! This means each harvest can be pretty challenging compared to other vineyards, and a lot of work is put into the prep every year.

Tours and Tastings

• Discovery visit: Start with a guided tour of the vineyard and discover the difficult but passionate work of the winemaker (with a few local historical anecdotes). Then learn some tricks of the trade in the wine cellar before the all-important tasting session of two wines (a third sparkling wine can be added for a small extra cost). We recommend allowing 1.5 - 2 hours for your tour.

• Connoisseur visit: This is the same as the discovery visit with the chance to try all the available wines. When in Rome...