From grape to table, Dutch community toasts urban vines

The Hague

AS a high-speed train rattled past their heads, amateur Dutch winemakers were busy gathering the last of the season's grapes under a warm autumn sun in the heart of The Hague.

Wine is not usually associated with the Netherlands, more known globally for its tulips and cheese.

But in the shadow of some council homes and lying below the railway, a community project has taken off thanks to the passion of one winemaker, Tycho Vermeulen.

Standing among rows of vines hung with slightly bitter, citrusy Johanniter, he proudly recounted the growing success of his De Haagse Stadswijngaard (The Hague Urban Vineyard), started four years ago on a piece of derelict land in a community garden.

The project brings together amateur growers and local residents for workshops, debates and evenings sipping and tasting the fruits of their labour, from glasses of wine to lovingly prepared stuffed vine…