More and more Belgian winegrowers
The Belgian wine industry is growing year by year, both in prestige and in quality. The number of winemakers too, as in 2020 the country recorded a 25% increase over the previous year (198 compared to 154 in 2019).
Our regions' abbeys produced wine as early as the 9th century, but the cultivation of vines remained dormant for a long time. It is only in the last few years that we have seen a real revival of interest in Belgian vineyards.
Flanders has the most winegrowers and the most cultivated hectares - 326 compared to 260 in Wallonia. Conversely, it is in the south of the country that the most wine is produced, as of a total of 1,853,034 litres, 1,003,059 litres were produced in Wallonia.
It is our light white wines and sparkling wines that are particularly exceptional. The specialities of our winemakers are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as in Champagne and Burgundy. Leading our most prestigious labels comes the Ruffus, originating from the region of Binche; it is a sparkling white with a low sugar content, which holds its own against champagnes. It won the gold medal at the Brussels World Wine Competition!
But it is not the only product of our terroirs that is attracting the attention of oenologists and wine lovers. Belgium has six AOCs (Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée), a label that gives a wine production a reputation and greater credibility with consumers: Hagelandsewijn Haspengouwsewijn, Heuvellandsewijn, Côtes de Sambre et Meuse, Vins des Jardins de Wallonie and, lastly, Crémant de Wallonie.
So why not enjoy some Belgian bubbles under the summer sun?