Belgian wine is on the rise!
In 2018, Focus on Belgium ran the following headline: "Is Belgium to become a land of wine as well as beer?" At the dawn of 2020, some answer can be given. The sector has grown exponentially in the last two years.
Belgium numbers several vineyards. And the least we can say is that they're doing well!
As far back as 2017, the FPS Economy praised the growth of the Belgian wine industry over the previous ten years. The total production area of 350 hectares represented an annual growth of 10% in plantation area.
Today, the vineyards cover more than 400 hectares! This agricultural expansion is mainly located in the provinces of Namur and Hainaut. The growth can be explained by recent investments by wealthy players. Among those vineyards are the Château de Bioul estate, the La Mazelle estate or the Chant d'Eole estate, which this year received the "International Revelation" gold medal for their sparkling wine at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (Brussels World Competition).
Sensitive to the evolution of a climate that is becoming more favourable, other investors have followed suit. 2019 was a pivotal year in this respect, since it was during this period that substantial resources have been deployed to raise awareness of these estates.
Near Namur, it's the Domaine de la Falize which is making a lot of noise. According to Eric Boschman, their chardonnays are "on the level of a Puligny Premier Cru or a Meursault of very good quality". In Walloon Brabant, there is the Château de Boursval which experiments with biodynamics and permaculture. Designed by AWAA, its wooden wine storehouse has been devised to be both functional and durable.
Cheers!