Champagne-from-Belgium?-Superb! | Bourgogne Suite Maastricht

Champagne-from-Belgium?-Superb! For lovers of sparkling wine is a visit to the winery Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen a must.

Champagne is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, specific grape-pressing methods and secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to cause carbonation.

Champagne became associated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The leading manufacturers made efforts to associate their Champagnes with nobility and royalty through advertising and packaging, this led to its popularity among the emerging middle class.

The Wine Castle of Genoels-Elderen is with 25 hectares the largest wine domain in Belgium.

A history of Champagne from Belgium

The foundations of Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen in the Belgian province of Limburg date back to Roman times. The Romans knew already that the conditions for winemaking were really good in the Haspengouw area. Concrete evidence of viticulture in this area dates back to the late Middle Ages.

In 1990 winery Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen started the renaissance of winemaking in Belgium by planting the first vines again. What began merely as a hobby turned into an impressive winery of 25 hectares.

Starting a winery from scratch

Owner Jaap van Rennes created a fortune with his food and beverage wholesale business but at some point decided to trade his Rolls Royce for a tractor. Local people thought it was madness when he bought the castle of Genoels-Elderen in the village of Riemst. He started this winemaking adventure at the age of 56 while his daughter Joyce took on a study Oenology.

Because nobody was familiar with Belgian wine they really had to start from scratch. After a few years, top restaurants in Belgium discovered the quality of their wines and the demand became huge. The wine castle now attracts around 20.000 visitors every year.

Burgundy style Belgian wines

The climate in the province of Limburg nowadays is close to that of Burgundy in the 1970’s. That fact, together with a soil made up from marl with a top layer of clay, makes this an excellent area for wine cultivation. The planted grape varieties are mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with 0,5 hectares of Pinot Gris.

In combination with the northern cooler climate, they produce beautifully balanced Belgian wines with good acidity. Besides four different still wines, Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen also produces three sparkling wines. The left-over press rests of the grapes (marc) go to the small castle distillery where Levenswater (Water of Life or Eau de Vie) is distilled.

Visiting Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen

As a wine lover visiting the neo-classicist castle is a must. You not only can visit the largest vineyards of Belgium, but also enjoy a stroll through the park with a beautiful arboretum with over 300-year old trees and a rose garden.

A Belgian sparkling wine was selected by the judges of the international wine competition in Brussels to win the 2019 International Revelation Sparkling wine award’. The 2014 Cuvée Prestige from Chant d’Éole in Quévy was named 2019 “revelation” at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, beating 730 submissions, including several French champagnes for the first time in the competition’s 26-year history.
The 15-hectare Chant d’Éole estate, where the winning wine came from, was created in 2011 and now has 130,000 vines, producing 80,000 bottles of wine a year.

Only 20 minutes from Bourgogne Suite Maastricht by car you find The Wine Castle of Genoels-Elderen with its 25 hectares of vineyards, the largest wine domain in Belgium. Guides will show you around the park, the vineyards, a rose garden, the distillery, the press house and the cellars dating from the 13th to the 20th century.
Get the taste of sparkling wine made in Belgium! Exellent!

Opening hours

You can daily contact the Wijnkasteel of Genoels-Elderen,
from Monday to and including Saturday from 09.00 till 18.00, or by appointment.
Closed on Sunday and public holidays.