Luxembourg wine: regions, wineries and best places to taste

Luxembourg's wine history is closely linked to the Moselle River. This river forms the border with Germany for 36 kilometers and the Moselle wine region is located in its valley. It is one of the northernmost regions in which vines have been cultivated since ancient times, as the Celts, Gauls and Romans were already growing vines in this area. 

In the Middle Ages, the foundation of numerous monasteries led to a boom in viticulture throughout the country. However, after the harsh winter of 1709, vines were destroyed throughout the country, with the exception of the Moselle Valley.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, most of Luxembourg's wine production consisted of indigenous grapes such as Elbling. Luxembourg winegrowers were content to mass-produce Elbling and ship most of it to the German wine-growing region of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer as bulk wine for blending.

After World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, Luxembourg left the German customs union, the Zollverein, which put the wine sector in a delicate situation. In 1922, Luxembourg entered into a customs union with Belgium (UEBL) and as a consequence new French grape varieties were introduced and the Luxembourg government made efforts to strengthen the identity of its own wines. This led to the foundation of a viticultural institute in Remich in 1925. At this time Pinot Noir, Auxerrois and Riesling were the stars.

In 1935 the Marque National de Vins Luxembourgeois, a regulatory body for Luxembourg wines, was created, this set the basic rules to be followed by winemakers regarding permitted grapes, blending requirements, vineyard practices and labeling laws.

Since the 1980s, the introduction of the appellation “Appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) - Moselle Luxembourgeoise”, the creation of the appellation “Crémant de Luxembourg”, followed by the special mentions “Vendanges Tardives”, “Vin de Glace” and “Vin de Paille”, as well as “Vins barriques”, have given the Luxembourg vineyards their current reputation, now supported by the Commission de Promotion des Vins et Crémants de Luxembourg.

More recently vineyards have been established in other areas of Luxembourg such as in Vianden where the first vines were planted in 2010 or in Rosport where there has been a renaissance of vineyards.

Luxembourg has a relatively small but valuable wine-growing area, covering a total surface of 1246 ha, of which 90% is dedicated to the cultivation of white wine vines and 10% of red wine vines. In total, there are 340 winegrowing holdings and production amounts to 125,000 hl, of which 25% is Crémant de Luxembourg.

Luxembourg has a strong trend towards organic and sustainable wine production. Winegrowers have adopted more environmentally friendly practices, such as the reduced use of pesticides, the promotion of biodiversity in the vineyards and the sustainable management of water resources. Currently, organic viticulture represents 10% of winegrowers, although the process of transition to this mode of production is slow, organic viticulture is gradually gaining importance and this figure is increasing all the time. The demand for organic wines has grown both within the country and in international markets, so many winegrowers have opted to obtain organic agriculture certifications.

There are a large number of small winegrowers in the country, some of whom work independently while others are associated with large cooperatives. These wine cooperatives play an important role in the local market. For example, Les Domaines de Vinsmoselle is the largest wine producers' cooperative in the country and represents a good part of the national wine production. These cooperatives enable small producers to compete in the market, access better resources and market their products on a large scale.However, there is also a significant presence of small producers who choose to work independently and produce high-quality artisanal wines.

Historically, Luxembourg has been a primarily domestic market for its wines. However, in recent years, exports have gained momentum, and Luxembourg wines are finding their way into international markets.

In 2023, the country exported 10.05 million liters for a total value of 28.62 million dollars. Most of the Luxembourg wines exported (44.3% of the volume) were effervescent wines. Bottled still wines accounted for 23% of the volume of exports and wines bulk still wines accounted for 22.6%. 

In 2023, the country's main customers were Belgium, Canada, Germany and France. Belgium alone accounted for 43.96% of the value and 55.42% of the volume of wine exports. Canada was the country's second largest customer both in value, with 14.92% of market share, and in volume with 14.23% of market share.

This event celebrates the famous Luxembourg Crémant and other wines produced in the Moselle region. There you can discover the wines and crémants of the Moselle, learn more about the wine region by talking to the winemakers and even buy some bottles. 

• Address: Glacis, Luxembourg-Ville
• Dates: from 29/11/2024 (15:00) to 01/12/2024 (20:00)

In spring, during the grape harvest, different Luxembourgish villages celebrate this festival where wines are the protagonists. There are parades, concerts and tastings of local wines.

• Address: on the premises of local wineries or outdoors under large marquees
• Dates:spring

These festivals take place in September and October and are considered thanksgiving celebrations for the harvest. The queen of wine is chosen and, to the sound of music, she is paraded around the town dressed in festive attire.

• Address: In many winegrowing towns such as Machtum, Ehnen, Ahn, Wormeldingen, Stadtbredimus or Schwebsange, the list of villages celebrating the new harvest is extensive.
• Dates: September and October

This is an annual fair held at the Luxexpo the Box event center where a large number of winemakers present their wines. It is an event aimed at both professionals and amateurs, where it is possible to taste some wines, buy some bottles or even do business.

• Address: 10 Circuit de La Foire Internationale, Kirchberg Luxembourg
• Dates: May 13 to 17