Booze and Belgium may bring to mind the ancient vaults of abbeys where monks tread softly among their prized beers, but the country’s burgeoning wine industry is now making a name for itself too. The proof? The Belgian wine sector now has its very own guide, thanks to publishers Gault&Millau.
Their first edition of the “Guide des Vins Belges” was launched at the end of June 2024. It provides details of over 170 wines selected from nearly 300 entries. The compendium is “intended to be a compilation of the best wines from the kingdom’s flagship wineries,” the publishing house says, “and aims to become a benchmark in the world of Belgian wine.”
82 vineyards and terroirs
Taking the reader “on a journey of discovery of 82 quality vineyards and their specific terroir” the curation was put together after tasting by a team of more than 30 sommeliers and national and international experts. 42 wines were tipped as favourites and 18 of them received a Belgian Wine Award across five different categories.
Just three wines bagged the highest five-star rating: the Cuvée Réserve Brut, from the Chant d’Eole vineyard, and the Ruffus Chardonnay Brut Sauvage, from Vignoble des Agaises, both just south of Mons on the French border, and the Zilveren Parel Brut 2014, from Genoels-Elderen, the first “wijnkasteel” in Belgium, over in Limburg in the east of the country.
Four million bottles produced
But more than a dozen further wines earned 4.5 stars, signalling that Belgian wine production and quality “has really taken off in recent years” Gault&Millau said.
In just the four years since 2020, the number of growers in Belgium has risen 30%, from 200 to 259, with production up to four million bottles. 95% of that production is composed of sparkling whites. Many of them, notes Bertrand Hautier, winemaker at Domaine du Chapitre in Nivelles, reported in The Bulletin, have won awards. “Having them all brought together in the same guide will help establish their renown,” Hautier predicted.
The guide’s authors note that this new generation of Belgian wineries is increasingly serving demand from the restaurant sector, which is prioritising not only quality but local provenance and a smaller carbon footprint. Eateries where readers can sample the best of Belgian wines are also given pride of place in the new guide, which is on sale now from De Standaard bookshop or via the Gault&Millau Online Shop, and costs 25.95 euros.
