Courtesy of: Amigoe
By Linda Reijnders
Oranjestad – Vicente Kock makes wine from his own grapes. “The government encourages the production of homegrown produce, but the amount of water needs to be distributed between the growing numbers of farmers.” Amigoe visited vintner Vicente Kock who despite the drought persists in following his passion of winemaking.
Vineyards need lots of water and that is not available, explains Kock while he is showing his estate. His 600 square meters of land and about 200 vines started out as a hobby. “I produce about 400 bottles of wine per year, 200 per harvest as I harvest twice a year.” “I sell the bottles of wine from home and both locals and tourists know where to find me” says Kock. “There are also hotels and restaurants that are interested, but I can’t grow because of the water shortage.”
According to Kock even Santa Rosa – where farmers can purchase water – is having problems with the water supply. “The total amount of farmers increased as a result of the impulse for self-sufficiency by the government, but the water supplies remained equal. Water supplies are being divided and that means that there is not enough for everyone, even though I only use ten tons of water per day, but there are farmers who need a lot more” explains Vicente. “I get some water from Santa Rosa, but it is not enough. So it’s waiting for rain to avoid the same situation as in 2008 and 2009 where as a result of the long drought many vines were lost.”
Fruit in the wines
Vicente Kock produces red, white and rosé wine. The wine is 100% natural and the grapes are mixed with Aruban fruits like the cashew fruit, the Aruban cherry and the carambola (star fruit). “10 to 15% of the wine consists of fruits which give a distinct flavor to the wine, differentiating it from regular wines” explains Vicente. “The feedback is positive, but people always mention that the wine taste different and that is exactly what I would like to achieve. After tasting one must say that the fruit flavor is evident in these wines.”
Kock has vines from Arab countries, because the climate is similar to Aruba, but he also has vines from France and the United States. While walking through his estate Vicente explains where the vines come from and what his challenges are. “The temperature on Aruba is higher than in most other countries, which means that the vines also grow faster. It also only takes a few hours after harvesting and pressing the grapes before the fermentation process starts. This process takes longer in colder countries” says Vicente. Vicente explains that he is doing everything on his own, sometimes with the help of his wife and children. “It’s my passion, my hobby, and I simply love the process.”
It all started 30 years ago when Vicente’s brother – who worked at the Lago at that time – would bring home a carafe of wine every fifteen days. “Every two weeks my brother received his wage and then he would come home with a bottle of wine. I tasted it for the first time when I was around fifteen years old. I remember it clearly, wine from Jerez in Spain.” Kock tells that at that time his family lived on the Vondellaan and that their Spanish neighbor was already making his own wine. This fascinated him and that’s why he started experimenting on his own with sea grapes. “One day an acquaintance from the Netherlands visited Aruba and tasted my wine. He told me that my wine wasn’t good enough and he invited me to the Netherlands where his family was making wine. “This was 30 years ago and in that time it was very expensive to make your own wine. But the idea of making wine stuck in my head and I really wanted to do this.”
Kock got a job as timeshare salesman and came into contact with an American who wanted to give him a present. “I remember he asked me: What would make you happy?, to which I replied: I would love to make wine.” It turned out that this American gentleman was one of the owners of “Beer & Wine Hobby’, a large chain in the United States. “Two weeks later I received a large package. It was a starter’s kit to make wine, including bottles, gauges, hoses… it had everything in it.” And that’s when Vicente actually started making his own wine.
“There are also benefits to Aruba’s climate”, says Vicente. Vintners in the US often need to spray their grapes with insecticides and this affects the fermentation coating on the grapes. “These insects do not survive on Aruba because of the heat and that is why I don’t need to spray my grapes. Nevertheless the iguanas, birds and rats love to eat the grapes!” says Kock.
Guided Tours
Vicente is proud of its wine and likes to show where the wine barrels are and where the wine gets bottled. Finally everyone can take place around a large table to taste the result. “Vino Vince’ mentions the label, made and bottled in Aruba. The next day Vicente will welcome a group of twenty Arubans for a tour on his estate. “I like to give guided tours, but only to people who are really interested in wine.”
Kock estate is located on Sombre 22a. For more information please call +297 5853995
Article and pictures courtesy of Linda Reijnders and Amigoe
