Definition: Luxembourg

Today, vineyards cover 1,400 hectares, using German and Alsatian grape varieties. The preferred grape varieties are Elbling, which covers 15% of the area, but this is declining in favour of Riesling (13%), Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. After an absence of more than 30 years, Pinot Noir is making a comeback, covering 2% of the area. However, it appears that Elbling is really the grape variety best suited to the soil and climate, as well as to the tastes of local consumers. Too much importance has been attached to the Ricaner grape variety, which has reached 40% of the Moselle area since 1985, in order to produce high-quality wines. Constant progress is being made to improve cultivation methods. There were 1,700 vineyards in 1064. This number fell to 788 in 1994. This change mainly affected vineyards with less than two hectares of land, for which viticulture remained a secondary activity. On the other hand, vineyards of 6 hectares increased from 3 to 80 in 30 years. With the support of the national offices, it was possible to consolidate 11,200 plots in 1964 into 6,638 in 1994, covering 1,400 hectares.

Viticulture in Luxembourg today consists of small to medium-sized enterprises, three-quarters of which cultivate less than three hectares. Two-thirds of winegrowers belong to one of the six cooperatives active in the wine-growing regions.

Production remains highly variable from one vintage to the next. Weather conditions influence the harvest, which can double in two years. Since 1993, winegrowers have had to comply with quotas imposed by the Brussels Commission, setting a maximum yield of 140 hl/ha for Elbling and 120 hl/ha for other varieties. These directives undoubtedly improve the quality of the harvest. The "Marque Nationale" quality label, which now covers 20% of production, contributes greatly to improving quality.

The wine market:

Luxembourg has a large number of residents who consume foreign wines from France and Italy. Domestic wine consumption accounts for 100,000 hl, or one third of production. Four-fifths of Luxembourg's production is absorbed by customers in the Benelux countries, with the remainder being shared between Germany and France.

On the other hand, wine imports to Luxembourg are three times higher than exports. It is true that purchases of foreign wines are subject to significant price fluctuations, particularly for white wine, depending on the quantity harvested in Luxembourg. Imported red and rosé wines, which account for around 60% of the market, continue to grow with the significant increase in residents of Mediterranean origin.