Luxembourg wine is primarily produced in the southeastern part of the Grand Duchy of

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, with vineyards overlooking the river Moselle. Along this river, which for 42 km makes up part of the border between Luxembourg and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, wine is made in three countries. There is a continuous history of winemaking along Moselle and in Luxembourg going back to Ancient Roman times.Institut Viti-Vinicole Grand Duché de Luxembourg: Geschichte
, accessed on April 1, 2008 Wine production in 2006/07 was 123,652

hectoliter The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3). ...

from of vineyards. Out of total wine exports of 87,776 hectoliter in 2005/06, 71,726 hectoliter or 82% was exported to nearby

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Exports to Germany were the second largest at 8,168 hectoliter, or 9%, and is to a large extent made up of base wine in bulk for the production of blended

Sekt Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

rather than being sold bottled with "Luxembourg" anywhere on the label. Therefore, very little Luxembourg wine is seen outside Luxembourg and Belgium. In terms of volume, the wine production in Luxembourg is dominated by a number of winemaking cooperatives. The cooperatives in Greiveldange,

Grevenmacher Grevenmacher (; ) is a commune with town status in eastern Luxembourg, near the border with Germany. It gives its name to and is the capital of the canton of Grevenmacher, and, until its abolition in 2015, the district of Grevenmacher. The town ...

Remerschen Remerschen ( lb, Rëmerschen) is a former commune and small wine-growing town in south-eastern Luxembourg, belonging to the commune of Schengen, near the point where the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg come together. , the town of Remer ...

, Stadtbredimus and Wellenstein source their wines from over 800 hectares of vineyards (almost two thirds of Luxembourg's vineyard surface) and sell their wines under the common name of "Vinsmoselle". In addition, they operate a

sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

plant in

Wormeldange Wormeldange ( lb, Wuermer or (locally) ; german: Wormeldingen) is a commune and small town in eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Grevenmacher. , the town of Wormeldange, which lies in the south of the commune, has a population of 7 ...

, which produces wines under the label Poll-Fabaire.

Wine styles

Luxembourg mainly produces dry white wines and

under the designation ''Crémant''. There are also some rosé and red wines made, as well as some sweet wines.Institut Viti-Vinicole Grand Duché de Luxembourg: Produkte
accessed on April 1, 2008 In contrast to the downstream German wine region '' Mosel'', Luxembourg has very little tradition of producing semi-sweet or sweet wines, despite a significant similarity in terms of grape varieties. Rather, the wines of Luxembourg have been produced as a kind of cold climate version of traditional, dry

Alsace wine Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (french: Vin d'Alsace; german: Elsässer Wein; gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, d'r Wii vum Elsàss; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, de Win vum Elsàss) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily wh ...

Grape varieties

Common grape varieties in Luxembourg, and the vineyard surface they covered in 2006, are: *

Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine ...

, usually under the name Rivaner: 377.1 ha (29.0%) * Auxerrois blanc: 184.2 ha (14.2%) *

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

: 177.5 ha (13.7%) *

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

: 165.8 ha (12.8%) *

Pinot blanc Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white ...

: 143.1 ha (11.0%) *

Elbling Elbling is a variety of white grape (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which today is primarily grown in the upstream parts of the Mosel region in Germany and in Luxembourg, where the river is called Moselle. The variety has a long history, and used t ...

: 122.9 ha (9.5%) * Pinot noir, the only red wine grape above 1%: 88.2 ha (6.8%) *

Gewürztraminer Gewürztraminer () is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz (; although this is never the case in German, because "Gewürz" me ...

: 18.8 ha (1.4%) * Chardonnay: 14.8 ha (1.1%)

History

After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the end of the

Zollverein The (), or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. Organized by the 1833 treaties, it formally started on 1 January 1834. However, its foundations had b ...

, Luxembourgish viticulture faced a difficult situation. Under the Zollverein, Luxembourgish wine producers had been content to produce a maximum quantity of low-quality wine such as Elbling, to be exported to Germany where it would be blended with wines of the Rhine. The establishment of a customs barrier between the two banks of the Moselle disrupted this situation. With the loss of the German market, Luxembourgish viticulture had to adapt itself. The existing grape varieties had to be gotten rid of, to be replaced by varieties that would yield quality wines. Elbling made way for Riesling-Sylbaner, Riesling, Pinot, and Auxerrois. At the same time the vine-growing surface area was substantially reduced, getting rid of the low-quality sites. The surface area went from 1,645 ha in 1914 to 1,000 ha in 1939. Winemaking cooperatives were created to facilitate the sale of the grape harvest. An "Institut vini-viticole" was created in Remich in 1925, to conduct research and advise wine-makers. In 1935 the label "Marque Nationale" was introduced to guarantee a consistent quality. This process of adaptation can be considered completed by the mid-1930s. On average two-thirds of produce were now consumed domestically, while the rest was exported, mostly to Belgium. The Moselle area was the only region of the country which had opted for Belgium over France as an economic partner in the referendum of 1919. During 1983-1987, 57% of produce was exported, four-fifths of this to Belgium.

Classification

All official wine designations in Luxembourg are French language terms. One single

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

is used for all of Luxembourg: ''Moselle Luxembourgeoise''. This designation, usually referred to as the ''Marque Nationale'' (national seal), indicates that the wine is made entirely from Luxembourgian grapes and fulfills certain requirements. The ''Marque Nationale'' was introduced in 1935.Institut Viti-Vinicole Grand Duché de Luxembourg: Qualitätsweine
accessed on April 1, 2008 Wines allowed the national seal can also carry three additional quality designations: ''Vin classé'', ''Premier Cru'' or ''Grand Premier Cru'', which have been used since 1959. These designations are awarded the individual wine after tasting by an official committee, which rates the wines on a 20-point scale. * Wines that score less than 12 points are denied an official classification, and may not display the ''Marque Nationale''. * Wines that score a minimum of 12.0 points may be sold as ''Marque Nationale - Appellation Contrôlée''. At this level, the wine can be evaluated before it is bottled. * Wines that score 14.0-15.9 points after being bottled (i.e., at a second evaluation) are allowed the designation ''Vin classé'' in addition to ''Marque Nationale - Appellation Contrôlée''. * Wines that score a minimum of 16.0 points after being bottled are allowed the designation ''Premier Cru''. * Wines that are allowed the ''Premier Cru'' designation may be submitted for a third tasting, and those wines which score a minimum of 18.0 points in this tasting are allowed the designation ''Grand Premier Cru''. Since the terms

Premier Cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The t ...

and

Grand Cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The ...

are used in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

to classify vineyards or wine estates, it has been suggested that the different use of these terms in Luxembourg is somewhat confusing to the consumer. There are three different classifications for sweet "specialty wines", differentiated by means of production: * '' Vendanges tardives'' is a

late harvest wine Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. ''Late harvest'' is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been ...

, either naturally sweet or affected by botrytis. * '' Vin de glace'' is an

ice wine Ice wine (or icewine; german: Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing for a more concentrated grape ...

, made from grapes harvested in the frozen state. * '' Vin de paille'' is a

straw wine Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates bac ...

, made from dried grapes. The exact requirements with regard to

must weight Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice (must) and, hence, indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar.Oechsle.

Crémant de Luxembourg

The '' Crémant de Luxembourg'' designation for sparkling wine is also awarded within the framework of the ''Marque Nationale'', meaning e.g. that only domestic grapes are allowed in the production. Therefore, in difference to the classification used for French crémants, ''Crémant de Luxembourg'' is a special type of wine within the ''Moselle Luxembourgeoise'' appellation, rather than an appellation in its own right.Institut Viti-Vinicole Grand Duché de Luxembourg: Cremant
, accessed on April 1, 2008 Some sparkling wine produced in Luxembourg is just labelled ''Crémant'' and does not display the ''Marque Nationale''. Such sparkling wines are produced partially or entirely from imported grapes, must or base wine.

References