In the case of this Dutch convent, too much of a good thing can actually be a problem.
Nuns at Sint-Catharinadal in Oosterhout, Netherlands are currently trying to sell the convent’s massive upcoming supply of 64,000 bottles of wine, according to the Guardian. An unusually fruitful harvest at the convent’s vineyard rendered an overflowing supply of wine — and as they bottle the wine in the coming weeks, the sisters worry about where they’ll store it.
The nuns took to the internet in a recent video to ask the public to purchase the bottles, sharing that this year’s harvest was double the typical output.
“We had a lovely summer last year [with] warm temperatures, and it promises to be an excellent harvest of more than 60,000 bottles,” Sister Maria Magdalena says in the video.
Sint-Catharinadal offers two wine varieties: a white blend (Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris) and a rosé (Pinot Noir and Gamay). A single bottle of wine retails for €14.50 ($15.93) while a six-bottle box costs €87 ($95.56).
The nuns plan to bottle the wine in April and May and ship them to box buyers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in mid-June, per the convent’s website. (Individual bottles are only available for purchase in-person or by pickup.) Proceeds will assist in upkeep of the monastery, which is a customary practice for convents that choose to create beer or wine. Sint-Catharinadal launched its vineyard in 2014.
At least 5,000 bottles of the wine have already been sold, per the Guardian. It appears that some people are already doing the lord’s work.
