Belgian wine production decreased by 64% last year: one in five winegrowers even lost almost their entire harvest due to the bad weather conditions, according to figures from the Economy Ministry on Thursday.
Production dropped to around 1.226 million litres of wine last year – the lowest figure since 2017. The sharp decline is due to the extremely bad weather conditions last year. Night frost struck at the end of April, killing off the plants that were already in bud. The exceptionally wet spring until the end of June also resulted in widespread flowering failure and high levels of mould.
"Nevertheless, the decline is relative," said Lien Meurisse, spokesperson for the Economy Ministry. "We were spoiled with exceptional yields in 2023 and 2022. If we compare it with previous years, the yield in 2024 will remain low, but the decline will appear less sharp. It is important to emphasise: the grapes were of excellent quality."
Rosé-tinted spectacles?
The decline affected all types of wine, but rosé sparkling wine took the biggest hit, with a drop of 78%. According to the Economy Ministry, a possible explanation is that winegrowers are mainly focusing on their core products due to the low yield – and in Belgium that is still white (sparkling) wine. Red wine followed with a drop of 76%.
In 2023, Walloon wine production was slightly higher than Flemish (53.5% versus 46.5%). In 2024, however, that ratio was completely reversed: Flemish winegrowers produced 672,171 litres, 21% more than their Walloon counterparts, who remained at 553,576 litres.
The number of Belgian winegrowers is growing year after year. In 2024, 321 winegrowers were registered – an increase compared to 290 in 2023 and 259 in 2022. This concerns both professional winegrowers and hobbyists.
In 2024, 958 hectares were planted with vines, compared to 891 hectares in 2023 and 801 hectares in 2022.
