Moselle vineyard;
Credit: Jazmin Campbell, Chronicle.lu
Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture has reported that the 17th edition of the Luxembourg Winegrowing Day took place on Wednesday 5 February 2025 at the Centre Culturel in Wormeldange in the presence of Minister for Winegrowing, Martine Hansen, and around 150 winegrowers.
The Winegrowing Day is an annual training event and is considered to be an opportunity for an important exchange of information for the winegrowing sector. It is organised by the Luxembourg Winegrowers Association together with the Institut viti-vinicole (IVV) in Remich.
In addition to a speech by the President of the Luxembourg Winegrowers' Association, Marc Weyer, and a review of the 2024 wine year, this year's programme included practice-oriented specialist lectures on wine marketing and oenotourism, skilled workers and business succession, sustainable viticulture in times of climate change, cellar book and labelling regulations, and sulphur reduction in winemaking.
Minister Hansen announced details of a kick-off workshop on 21 March to launch the National Action Plan for Generational Change. She stated: "Our young winemakers are the future of viticulture and are close to my heart." In her speech, Minister Hansen addressed the challenges of generational change in the winegrowing sector and in agriculture in general. Regarding the National Action Plan for Generational Change, it will involve all sectors and, together, simplification approaches to business takeovers are to be developed. A specific survey by the winegrowing institute on the development of Luxembourg wineries is intended to provide precise insights and findings beforehand.
Minister Hansen also highlighted recent adjustments to the agricultural law and better recognition of work skills in order to enable career changers to obtain the status of active winemakers more quickly. The simplifications for recruiting seasonal workers decided at the winegrowing table are to be fully completed before the start of this year's grape harvest.
The minister pointed out the good cooperation with the Luxembourg winegrowers' association which, as the main sponsor of LEADER-Miselerland, is driving forward the rural development of the Moselle region.
An exhibition with numerous suppliers from the wine industry and a PIWI wine tasting with a tasting of the winegrowing institute's test wines rounded off the day.
