As for the explanations for that exceptionally early pick, well that’s quite easy. The combination of a mild spring and a warm summer means that the grapes are already ripe now, which they normally are not until the very last days of September or even early October. At least in the case of still wines. Picking for sparkling wines - where the sugar content of the grapes can be lower - began several weeks ago. That, too, was exceptionally early. “We started picking for our still wines on 21 September,” says Daniel Medarts of the Kitsberg domain in Heers. “That’s another three days earlier than in 2018, which was another excellent year.”

Stijn Maris of wine estate De Caybergh in Herk-de-Stad even started working on it on 19 September, along with fifteen external workers. “Not a record, because in 2018 we started one day earlier,” he says. “But it is exceptionally early. We started with the Pinot Noir, followed by the Chardonnay. So it’s all hands on deck here.” Picking is also already in full swing at Aldeneyck domain in Maaseik. Although that is done mostly by machine there. “Although there are parts of it we can’t reach with the machine,” says Tine Linssen. “We employ people for those parts, who otherwise perform other tasks here.”

A little more sun

Still, grape picking is not an exact science. Because in wine estate Vlijtingen (Riemst), the grapes for the still wines are not yet ripe. “We measure the Chardonnay every week, but the acidity is still too high and the sugar content too low,” says business manager Herman Meers. “That is because Chardonnay grapes go into stasis at temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees, at which point they no longer develop. A temperature between 25 and 30 degrees is better. So we have to hope for another little bit of sunshine.” The warm weather of the summer months ensures not only exceptionally early picking, but also a high-quality harvest. “Only the wet weather in September, just before picking, was a bit disappointing,” says Stijn Maris of De Caybergh wine estate. “But 2022 is definitely a very good year for Limburg wines. We will need to be patient before we can judge the quality of the wines, but all values are by all means excellent.”

Banner year

Daniel Medarts even calls it a banner year. “Of course, you can’t be sure until the wine is made, but at least all the elements are there,” he says enthusiastically. “The grapes are magnificent, both in terms of quantity and quality. This applies not only to Limburg wines, by the way, but I am hearing the same sentiments from the Rhône and Burgundy regions.”