It is said that viticulture above 50° latitude is virtually impossible. Silver Cross Winery is located at 50° latitude and is one of the most Nordic commercial vineyards in Europe (50° 07' 55" to be exact). This turns each harvest in a challenge. A challenge that Filip Decroix, winemaker, must face each year.

Starting a vineyard so much in the North, begins with an in-depth analysis of the soil and the choice of the appropriate grapes to plant.

A good rootstock and the variety of the grape will determine if grapes will come to full maturity.
Vines grow best between 20 and 25 C° and need 20000 lux. Depending on the variety between 100 and 110 days are necessary after flowering before the grape reaches maturity. Usually flowering occurs from mid-June to late June. A dry period during the month of June is therefore essential.

Normally harvesting takes place during the month of October. At the end of September for early-maturing varieties.

At the Silver Cross Wine Estate we enjoy a light sandy loam soil with a layer of clay about 60cm deep. The soil drains well and is flanked by a creek, the Ieperlee. A remnant of the Ieperlee River is still here, as most of it was turned into a canal in the middle ages and the canal Ieper- IJzer. Enough channels for a proper drainage of rain water.