Belgian wine production increasing

Wine production in Belgium was up by 15 percent last year. The number of wine producers is also on the rise, a report by the University of Hasselt’s Economy Department shows. While Belgium is famous worldwide for its beers, the country also produces quality wine – chiefly white, and in ever-increasing quantities. In 2011, wine production in Belgium amounted to 539,550 litres, compared to 470,569 litres the previous year. The wine-growing areas grew in surface from 119 hectares in 2010 to 130 hectares last year. The most productive regions for wine are Haspengouw and Maasland in Limburg province, along the Meuse river. Other fertile areas include the Hageland (Flemish Brabant) and the so-called Druivenstreek (grape region) near Brussels, as well as Luxembourg province.  Two years ago there were 41 wine producers in Belgium (27 in Flanders and 14 in Wallonia). Last year, their number had risen to 48. These figures apply to the wine producers applying for an appellation d’origine protégée. Another 31 growers produce wine without applying for an official local label. Seventy-eight percent of all wine produced in Belgium is white, with red (18 percent) coming second and rosé third with just 4 percent.