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Viticulture in Luxembourg is thousands of years old and achieved its real boom with the arrival of the Romans. Located in northern Europe, the Luxembourg vineyards cover the sunny hillsides along the Moselle from its arrival from Lorraine, at Schengen, to its departure to Germany at Wasserbillig. |
Vineyards cover approximately 1,345 hectares of the Moselle valley. Some 850 wine growers are grouped into 5 cooperative 'caves', which overall produce 70 % of the wine, the rest being made up by another 20 independent wine growers. Wine produced in the cantons of Remich (Schengen, Wintrange, Remich) and Grevenmacher (Wormeldange, Ahn, Machtum, Grevenmacher) is the most reputed and has the right to be called "Moselle Luxembourgeoise".
The Luxembourg vineyards enjoy a temperate climate and the weather conditions prevailing in the spring and summer months determine the yield of the wine harvest, whereas the climate at the end of autumn determines the quality of the vintage.
In addition, the canalisation of the Moselle River (1962-1964) had a beneficial effect on the micro-climate of the Moselle valley and hence enhanced the quality of the grape must.
The whole territory can be divided into two large and differing areas each of which “imprint” the specific characteristics of its soil on the wines grown there.
• In the Remich canton, Keuper layers preponderate. At this location the valley is fairly wide open, and the rounded and softly dropping slopes produce wines which are full-bodied and harmonious like the landscape.
• In the Grevenmacher canton mainly limestone rock is found. The slow erosion has created a narrower valley with steep dolomitic slopes which produce a lively and elegant wine.
The vegetative period of the vine normally commences around the middle of April, flowering starts towards the end of June and ripening starts from the middle of August. The temperatures in spring are very important because they affect the start of the bud burst and the blossoming of the vines. Dry and warm weather at the beginning of the grape formation in July is found to be ideal. A warm August and September makes it possible to count on an excellent year for the wine. The wine-grower hopes that during the picking period between the end of September and end of October the weather will be warm and dry.
