On Tuesday 13 September 2022, Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, Claude Haagen, visited the vineyards in Wellenstein, Schengen.
On this occasion, Minister Haagen pruned alongside the winegrowers and discussed with the representatives of the Professional Organisation of Independent Winegrowers ASBL (Organisation professionnelle des vignerons indépendants - OPVI), the Vinsmoselle Domains, the Luxembourg Federation of Wines and Spirits, and the Institute viti-vinicole (Institut viti-vinicole - IVV) to have a first appreciation of the 2022 vintage.
Historically early harvests, an excellent vintage
Although the year was marked by periods of extreme drought and heat and a water deficit of up to 400 mm along the Moselle, the winegrowers were nevertheless satisfied with the harvest.
Indeed, the radiant sunshine has reinforced the ripening of the grapes and is reflected in their color and taste. The heat accelerated the development of the vines and brought forward the start of the first Crémant harvest to the week of August 2022, a historically early date compared to past years when the first bunches were harvested around September, on average.
The 2022 vintage promises to be excellent and fruity, with higher than usual alcohol content. However, the quantities will be lower due to the drought. The first “Fiederwäissen” are already in the cellars and demonstrate the potential of the 2022 vintage.
The grapes used for the production of Crémant de Luxembourg and high-end wines are harvested manually. This year, the winegrowers are working with around 1,000 seasonal workers, most of whom come from neighbouring countries and the East, and some have been mobilised through national unemployment agency ADEM and the IVV, which have renewed their collaboration from recruitment at the service of wine companies and job seekers.
Minister Haagen congratulated the winegrowers for their excellent work: “I am happy to share the peak of the harvest with our winegrowers and proud to know that despite a historic drought, the 2022 vintage promises to be excellent! Viticulture is one of the great entrepreneurial, societal and festive traditions of Luxembourg. Luxembourg wines and crémants have continued to diversify and move towards excellence. The quality of our cellars is appreciated by loyal customers looking for fine wines from small and personalised circuits.”
Resilient, innovative viticulture and new grape varieties
Minister Haagen also praised the spirit of innovation and the expertise of the IVV, which works to serve a rapidly evolving viticulture and which advises winegrowers, in particular by testing the development of new grape varieties, in accordance with the new climatic situation. In the experimental vineyards of the IVV, very thermophilic grape varieties from southern regions have reached their maturation this year, namely the Primitivo variety of Italian origin, the Touriga Nacional from Portugal, the Tempranillo from Spain as well as the Syrah characteristic of the Côtes du Rhône.
Finally, the Minister highlighted the good cooperation between the IVV and Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in terms of research projects aimed at making wine production more sustainable and more resilient to climate change. In 2023, a new experimental vineyard with more drought-resistant southern rootstocks will be launched. A second research project aims to assess the optimal time to harvest crémant grapes.