Belgium's wine industry is tiny next to its brewing tradition, but the country now has several officially recognised cool-climate wine appellations, producing crisp whites and increasingly credible sparkling wine from grapes that also thrive in nearby Alsace and Germany.
Grapes grown here
Sub-regions
Hageland
Hageland, centred on the town of Tienen in Flemish Brabant, became Belgium's first officially recognised wine appellation in 1997. Its cool climate and sandy-clay soils favour crisp, aromatic whites and a growing amount of traditional-method sparkling wine.
Haspengouw
Haspengouw, in the fruit-growing Limburg province near the Dutch border, became Belgium's second recognised wine appellation in 2000. Its orchard country shares the same rolling terrain now given over to cool-climate vineyards growing much the same grapes as neighbouring Hageland.