De Grote Hamersma
De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform founded by Harold Hamersma that scores bottles submitted by Dutch retailers, publishes only wines rated 7+, and serves Dutch consumers and retailers via its website, AI chatbot, and wine courses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What De Grote Hamersma does
De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform founded by and named after Harold Hamersma, operating as a VOF (Dutch general partnership) headquartered in Amsterdam. The company receives thousands of bottles from all Dutch supermarkets, more than 200 wine and specialty shops, and numerous online specialists, which are tasted, described, and scored by Hamersma and a small team on a 7-to-10 scale; only wines scoring 7 or higher are published. The platform's review database is the core asset and is used directly by retailers in their shelf communication and promotional campaigns, including major chains such as Albert Heijn, Gall & Gall, and Plus.
The underlying technology consists of a content website (degrotehamersma.nl) hosting the proprietary wine and alcohol-free review database, complemented by the DrankSpijsWijzer, an AI-powered chatbot that recommends wine pairings for dishes entered by users. Adjacent product modules include the Sterdranken designation for price-quality excellence across price tiers, the De Groene Hamersma sub-brand covering environmentally certified wines (organic, biodynamic, natural, vegan, HVE, Terra Vitis), the 'Wijn zoekt importeur' marketplace connecting international producers with Dutch importers, and online wine courses sold through a PlugandPay storefront.
The business model rests on a freemium B2B review service — producers, importers, and retailers submit wines free of charge and benefit from the scores as marketing and shelf validation — supplemented by direct-to-consumer monetization through one-time course purchases, newsletters, and social channels. There is no consumer subscription and no publicly disclosed revenue. Operating geographies are confined to the Netherlands.
De Grote Hamersma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Grote Hamersma
- Legal name
- De Grote Hamersma VOF
- Website
- https://degrotehamersma.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform founded by Harold Hamersma that scores bottles submitted by Dutch retailers, publishes only wines rated 7+, and serves Dutch consumers and retailers via its website, AI chatbot, and wine courses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where De Grote Hamersma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
De Grote Hamersma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wine Review Services (B2B): Free review, rating, and description services for wines and alcohol-free drinks submitted by producers, importers, supermarkets, and specialty retailers. The reviews serve the submitters' marketing and retail shelf placement needs, making this a B2B service where the reviews themselves are the product for their customers.
- Wine Courses: Sale of online wine courses through their webshop (degrotehamersma.plugandpay.nl/wijncursussen). Courses are digital products with 14-day return policy satisfaction guarantee.
- Wijn zoekt importeur Premium Visibility: Wines seeking Dutch importers that score 7 or higher become visible on the platform with importer contact details, potentially a premium or featured placement service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free wine review service for submitted wines |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
De Grote Hamersma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform that receives, tastes, rates (on a 7-10 scale), and describes products submitted by supermarkets, specialty wine shops, and online retailers. The platform publishes reviews, wine pairing recommendations via an AI chatbot, paid online wine courses, and connects international wine producers seeking Dutch importers with local importers.
Product overview
De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform that operates as a unified product combining multiple services. The core offering consists of wine and alcohol-free drink reviews with a proprietary scoring system (7-10 scale), where all submitted products from Dutch retailers are professionally tasted and rated. The platform features De DrankSpijsWijzer, an AI-powered chatbot for wine-food pairing recommendations. Additional services include Wine Courses (online educational content), De Groene Hamersma (eco-friendly wine sub-brand), Sterdranken (star wines for value excellence), and Wijn zoekt Importeur (a marketplace connector linking producers with Dutch importers). The ecosystem is sustained through newsletters covering wine deals and new reviews, making it a comprehensive wine discovery and education platform for Dutch consumers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- De Groene Hamersma: An initiative highlighting wines and alcohol-free drinks that are more environmentally friendly, featuring organic, biodynamic, natural wines, Terra Vitis, vegan, HVE-certified, and sustainable options.
Products and services
- Wine Reviews Professional tasting, rating (7-10 scale), and description of wines submitted by Dutch supermarkets, specialty wine shops, and online wine specialists. Only wines scoring 7 or higher are published on the platform; the reviews are used by submitters for marketing and retailer shelf communication.
- Alcohol-free Drink Reviews Tasting, rating, and description of alcohol-free drinks (including alcohol-free wines and other non-alcoholic beverages) available in Dutch retail markets, covered under the same 7-10 scoring system as the wine reviews.
- De DrankSpijsWijzer (AI Wine-Pairing Chatbot) Standalone AI-powered chatbot on the De Grote Hamersma site that lets users type in a dish and receive 3 wine recommendations that match, with direct links to well-scored wines in the Hamersma database. It is powered by AI technology and fed by a large database of wine and food pairing knowledge.
- Wine Courses Paid online wine courses sold through the PlugandPay e-commerce platform, providing educational content about wine appreciation for wine enthusiasts wanting to deepen their knowledge. Includes a 14-day satisfaction/return policy.
- Wijn zoekt Importeur (Wine Seeks Importer) Platform service that connects international wine producers looking for Dutch importers with Dutch importers following the platform's efforts. Wines scoring 7 or higher are made visible on the platform with importer contact details, with premium/featured placement available.
- Dranken Insturen (Submit Drinks) Free B2B submission service that allows producers, importers, supermarkets, and specialty retailers to send wines and alcohol-free drinks for tasting, review, and potential publication on the platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Coverage of all Dutch supermarkets (200+), over 100 wine specialty shops, and numerous online wine specialists
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use De Grote Hamersma
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
De Grote Hamersma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
De Grote Hamersma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Albert HeijncoreAlbert Heijn is a major Dutch supermarket chain that regularly features De Grote Hamersma-scored wines in their promotional campaigns, including seasonal features like Christmas wine selections. Their marketing communications reference Hamersma scores as quality validation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
De Grote Hamersma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Perswijn: Dutch wine magazine and review platform with editorial tasting notes and ratings. Closest direct Dutch competitor in the wine editorial space, sharing the same audience of Dutch consumers and overlapping retail partnerships.
- Wine Spectator: Major US wine publication with professional reviews, ratings, and retail integration. Comparable business model combining editorial wine reviews with credibility signals used by retailers and producers.
- Proefschrift: Dutch wine review and education platform. Comparable as a Dutch-market wine content and tasting notes provider targeting consumers making purchasing decisions in retail.
- Snooth: Wine discovery and review platform aggregating ratings and retailer pricing. Comparable as a digital wine review destination serving both consumers and the trade.
- Wine Enthusiast: Wine media and review brand publishing professional ratings used widely by retailers. Comparable editorial model pairing tasting-driven reviews with consumer-facing content and retail-grade trust signals.
- Decanter: Established UK wine media brand offering expert reviews, ratings, and educational content. Comparable as a professionally-edited wine review platform with multi-channel consumer engagement.
- Vivino: Global wine app combining crowdsourced reviews, label scanning, and personalized recommendations. Directly comparable as a digital wine review and recommendation platform serving consumers and producers, though operating at much larger international scale.
- Wine Folly: Wine education and content platform with visual learning tools and curated recommendations. Comparable as a content-led wine platform combining educational depth with consumer discovery features.
Broad incumbents
- Gall & Gall: Largest Dutch specialty wine retailer. Broad incumbent that uses De Grote Hamersma scores in-store and is part of the same Dutch wine retail ecosystem, but operates as a retailer rather than a review platform.
- Albert Heijn: Dominant Dutch supermarket chain that features Hamersma scores in promotional campaigns. Broad incumbent in the same Dutch wine retail environment and a key customer-side user of De Grote Hamersma's review output.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Grote Hamersma social profiles
Digital presenceDe Grote Hamersma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Grote Hamersma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
De Grote Hamersma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Grote Hamersma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Grote Hamersma
What does De Grote Hamersma do?
De Grote Hamersma is a Dutch wine and alcohol-free beverage review platform that receives, tastes, rates (on a 7-10 scale), and describes products submitted by supermarkets, specialty wine shops, and online retailers. The platform publishes reviews, wine pairing recommendations via an AI chatbot, paid online wine courses, and connects international wine producers seeking Dutch importers with local importers.
Is De Grote Hamersma a public or private company?
De Grote Hamersma is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was De Grote Hamersma founded?
De Grote Hamersma was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is De Grote Hamersma based?
De Grote Hamersma is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does De Grote Hamersma make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wine Review Services (B2B) is the primary driver. The others are wine Courses and wijn zoekt importeur Premium Visibility.
Who are De Grote Hamersma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Perswijn, Wine Spectator, Proefschrift, Snooth, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, Vivino and Wine Folly. Broad incumbents are Gall & Gall and Albert Heijn.
Does De Grote Hamersma have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Grote Hamersma.