Wines of Belgium
@ Wine Paris 2025
Visit us at Hall 4 – booth D153
Meet 9 of Belgium’s best winegrowers, discover the wines they have brought, and learn all about their terroir, their methods, the varieties they have chosen, etc..
Vignoble des Agaises / Domaine Ruffus
Vignoble des Agaises, also known as Domaine Ruffus, is a Belgian wine estate located in Haulchin, near Binche, Wallonia. Covering more than 40 hectares, it is one of the largest producers of sparkling wine in Belgium. Its location on a chalky southern slope provides ideal conditions for viticulture. The grape varieties grown there are mainly chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.
Domaine de Bioul
Domaine de Bioul is located in the Namur region of Wallonia, within the Côtes de Sambre et Meuse appellation. The Château’s vineyards cover about 13 hectares and are farmed organically and biodynamically, demonstrating respect for nature and tradition. The grape varieties planted are johanniter, solaris, cabaret noir, cabernet jura, muscaris and pinotin, which are used to produce quality red, white, rosé and sparkling wines.
Domaine du Chant d’Eole
With more than 470,000 chardonnay vines on 52 hectares, Domaine du Chant d’Eole is the largest vineyard in Belgium. Located in Quévy in Wallonia, the south-facing, predominantly calcareous, white soil is ideal for drainage and irrigation, making it ideally suited for sparkling wine production. This chalky soil and the chardonnay grape give our wines minerality, fraîche and elegance.
Domaine du Chenoy
Domaine du Chenoy, founded in 2003, is a vineyard that stands out for its originality. The estate covers about fifteen hectares and produces wines from blends that are unique in the world. A pioneer in Belgium and certified in organic viticulture, the estate uses resistant grape varieties that combine innovation with respect for the environment. Production consists of 70% sparkling wines and 30% still wines.
Wine Estate Cruysem
Bart Bracke and Kathy Declercq founded Wijndomein Cruysem in 2017 out of a deep-seated passion for wine. The vineyard, located in the Flemish Ardennes and named after the new merger municipality, covers 10 hectares and consists of a planting of chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot blanc and pinot meunier. The mainly sparkling wines are made according to the traditional method and in an ecologically responsible manner.
Wine Castle Genoels-Elderen
Since 1991 already, Wine castle Genoels-Elderen cultivates 22 hectares of vineyards. On the nearby south flanks of the Limburg hills, chardonnay and pinot noir vines were planted. They thrive exceptionally well in the Haspengouw area with its loamy and calcareous soils. Our wines and digestives are the result of a unique terroir, healthy grapes, hard work and passion.
Wine Estate Hoenshof
Prof. Dr. Ghislain Houben started his wine story in the hamlet of Hoenshoven in Borgloon in 2002. Today, Wijndomein Hoenshof has 6.5 hectares of vineyards, producing a wide range of wines. The main goal of Wijndomein Hoenshof is to put Belgian wines more prominently on the map. Jerom Houben, who has since taken over the torch from his father: “The road to writing our own story is wide open. We don’t copy and paste, we innovate.”
Domaine Mont des Anges
Domaine Mont des Anges is located on a plot spread across three villages (Nouvelles, Havay and Ciply), south of Mons in Wallonia. The estate extends over 12 hectares with a soil of flint and clay-limestone, facing south/southeast. Mont des Anges uses the typical Champagne grape varieties: chardonnay, pinot noir, meunier and voltis. They also produce a cuvée in which all the grape varieties are pressed together, called “Blanck. The wines then age for several months before resting in the bottle to develop their complexity and finesse.
Wine Estate Oud Conynsbergh
Wine Estate Oud Conynsbergh opts for classic varieties such as pinot auxerrois, chardonnay, pinot noir and gamay. White, rosé, red and also sparkling wines are produced from these grapes. Started in 2014, the 10 ha of vineyards have become certified organic in 2021 and the winemakers work according to biodynamic principles. Every weekend you can taste their wines in the historic mill in the village of Boechout.
Winemaking in Belgium
When people think of Belgium, they often refer to our remarkable beers, delicious chocolates and the best French fries in the world. Correctly so, but what more and more people are starting to discover, is that Belgian wine has earned a spot in that list as well. Time to let more people in on that secret…
Belgium is a small country, so our wine industry is rather small as well – but growing rapidly. In 2023 there were a total of 290 registered winegrowers in our country, amateurs and (semi-)professional producers combined. Together, they own 891 hectares of vineyards – more than five times as many as ten years ago. Together, they produced 3,4 million liters of Belgian wine in 2023, half of which sparkling wine.
In a small country like Belgium there is no room for large scale wineries. Only a handful of winegrowers own twenty hectares of land or more; the average size is about four hectares. This means that Belgian winemakers simply need to focus on quality and take an artisanal approach. Government agencies and trade organizations stimulate this focus on quality as well.
Lots of sparkling and still white wines
Due to our location – most of Belgium is above 50 degrees north latitude, long considered to be the northern limit for making wine – the production of sparkling wines is very popular here. (Less sunlight means less sugar, which emphasizes the freshness of the grapes even further). In fact, sparkling wines account for about 53 percent of the total production. 36 percent are still white wines. Next come red wines with 7 percent, and rosés with 4 percent. (Based on 2023 harvest data)
The chilly and relatively wet climate also explains the proliferation of mold and mildew resistant grape varieties, such as johanniter, regent and solaris. Some Belgian winemakers have already been working with those varieties for decades now, and have long since learned to make excellent wines with them. Because these grapes are better adapted to the local climate, they also need less treatments with pesticides, allowing for a sustainable and environment friendly way of working.
Among the classic grape varieties, the most popular are similar to some nearby renowned wine regions, such as Burgundy and Alsace: chardonnay, pinot varieties (including auxerrois), müller-thurgau, and so on. In fact, there is a tremendous diversity in Belgian wines, but they all have an undeniable cool climate touch – including relatively low alcohol percentages – and show great quality.
Appellations
Belgium has ten official appellations, each with its own regulations, to guard the quality of wines from these regions. There are two Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs):
- Vlaamse Landwijn (Flemish Country Wine) (number 1️⃣ on the map below)
- Vin de Pays des Jardins de Wallonie (Country Wine from the Gardens of Wallonia) 2️⃣
There are also eight Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs):
- Hagelandse wijn (Wine from the Hageland area, near Brussels) 3️⃣
- Haspengouwse wijn (Wine from the Haspengouw area, in the North East of Flanders) 4️⃣
- Heuvellandse wijn (Wine from the Heuvelland area, near the South coast) 5️⃣
- Côtes de Sambre et Meuse (Wine from the banks of the Sambre and Meuse, in Wallonia) 6️⃣
- Maasvallei Limburg (unique in Europe: this PDO covers two countries – Belgium and the Netherlands) 7️⃣
- Vlaamse Mousserende Kwaliteitswijn (Flemish Quality Sparkling Wine) 8️⃣
- Vin Mousseux de Qualité de Wallonie (Quality Sparkling Wine from Wallonia) 9️⃣
- Crémant de Wallonie 🔟
About the VZW Belgische Wijnbouwers
Since 2009, the non-profit organization VZW Belgische Wijnbouwers (Federation of Belgian Winegrowers) has been working to improve the quality of Belgian wine, to create a professional framework in which our winegrowers can optimally reap the benefits of their efforts and to increase the awareness of Belgian wine among consumers, both at home and abroad. To this end, the association organizes numerous activities: interesting and useful training courses, events (such group stands at international trade fairs), bringing together wine growers with questions or needs, clarifying and simplifying legislative and administrative matters, negotiating interesting group purchases, etc. Today, the organization has more than 160 members and represents more than 85 percent of the professional winegrowers in Flanders.
For more information, go to: www.belgischewijnbouwers.be
About the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie
The Association des Vignerons de Wallonie (AVW) is an organization dedicated to the promotion and development of winegrowing in Wallonia. It brings together the region’s professional winegrowers, providing a platform for exchanging knowledge and defending the interests of the profession. The association represents 102 Walloon winegrowers, which is roughly two thirds of all winegrowers in Wallonia.
The AVW’s initiatives aim to reinforce the quality and recognition of Walloon wines, while supporting winemakers in their professional development.
For more information, go to: www.vigneronsdewallonie.be
