The Oud Conynsbergh winery welcomes around twenty winegrowers from the German Palatinate region. They travel through Belgium and the Netherlands to discover new insights into winegrowing.
In Oud Conynsbergh, the Germans were offered a glass of sparkling wine and visited the vineyard at Mussenhoevelaan. The Boechouts winery is famous for its biological effects.
“But German winegrowers are also looking for ways to accommodate the impact of climate change on harvests and wine. A study suggests that by 2040, half of the wine produced in Germany will be white and half red. In 2000, the share of white wine was still 85 percent. “This is because the Syrah grape, which traditionally thrives in the Rhône region, is now being grown well in Germany,” says Chris van de Sompel of Oud Conynsbergh.
The winegrowers were former students at the winemaking school Institut für Weinbau und Oenologie in the Palatinate region. “Every year we go on a trip to discover something new in our sector. We have travelled around the world, visiting the USA, Australia, France, Italy, Spain and more. Now we are guests for the first time in the wine countries of Belgium and the Netherlands,” says teacher Jürgen Oberhofer.
Boechoutse Parel really appeals to him: “It is a fresh, aromatic wine with a pleasant aftertaste.”
The imminent harvest in Boechout looks less positive. “We have lowered our expectations for 2024. The conditions with a wet and fresh spring were not ideal. We hope that the warmer temperatures will continue into August, then we can call it a bad year instead of a very bad year,” concludes Van de Somel.
