Robartus (Bart) is a wine writer with music and food as side topics.
A geographer by training, Bart’s understanding of soil, geomorphology, and climate, important factors in winegrowing, was kindled at an early age. On a field trip to Germany, a wineloving lecturer introduced him to the pleasures of Mosel Rieslings. For his first employer he organized a wine and culture trip to the Touraine, but it was his move to Basel, Switzerland on the doorstep of Baden, Alsace and several Swiss wine regions that really stirred up his interest for wine.
Since his studies at the Austrian Wine Academy, where he obtained his WSET and Weinakademiker Diplomas, wine is Bart’s profession. Apart from writing for several European publications, like Perswijn (NL), Apéritif (NO), TRINK (US/DE/global), DinVin Guide (DK), Vince (HU), Club Oenologique (UK), and Metropole (A), Bart organizes wine trips, moderates wine tastings, judges and does the occasional job for wine retailers.
Wherever he goes, whether it is the Vienna Woods, the Black Forest, the rolling hills of Kent and Sussex, the golden dunes and beaches of the Netherlands, or any of the Iberian mountain chains, he always brings his hiking boots, to keep in shape, relax or to ponder over new writing ideas.
An avid amateur flautist, he was honoured to write the English program notes for the Basel Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons. He currently writes the program notes for the Marvão International Music Festival in Portugal. And when even music can’t distract him from matters of ampelography, canopy management or oxidative ageing, the stove is patiently waiting for him. His Indian, Portuguese and Italian cookbooks always have a new recipe to try out.
Bart is Dutch citizen who lives with his partner between Basel, Switzerland and the Serra de São Mamede, Portugal. He was recently awarded the designation of Spanish Wine Scholar.
