Typicity and quality: Crucial for further growth of the Flemish wine sector

General introduction

How can Flemish wineries, including many newcomers, improve their yield, quality and profitability through scientific support both in terms of cultivation technique and processing, and in terms of economic management? That is the question in the VITITYP project. Viticulture in Flanders is a strongly growing agricultural sector. The acreage is increasing by about 20% annually in recent years (as of 2020), with in 2022, 802 hectares good for the production of more than 3 million liters of wine. However, this young sector still lacks applied knowledge about cultivation in Flanders. Cultivation measures are currently being adopted from abroad, but these are not always the most suitable in Flanders, which can lead to suboptimal results.

Research approach

The researchers aim at several processes that increase the knowledge of Flemish winegrowers: which cultivation measures can be better adapted to Flemish growing conditions? What elements can improve wine quality and grapevine yields? We build into the existing VerdienWijzer specific business model components for the Flemish vineyards and we make an economic calculation tool that supports the wine growers in making tailored choices in cultivation measures.

Relevance/Valorisation

The increase in yield, quality and yield will contribute to the sustainability of the still young wine sector. The resulting wines with a competitive price and typicality for quality ‘cool climate’ wine, will ensure that:
- wine sales are more accessible to consumers
- the image of Flemish ‘cool climate’ wine improves
- consumers will return more quickly to buy wine
- short-chain sales will be stimulated
- the income security of the wine grower will increase.