Dranouter (Eurotoday) – Monteberg Winery in Dranouter, Heuvelland, began its earliest-ever grape harvest on August 16, 2025. Ward Six picked Solaris and Siegerrebe grapes, highlighting Belgian wine’s growing quality and climate-driven potential.
As VRT News reported, the grape harvest has started at Monteberg wine estate in Dranouter, Heuvelland, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Employees of Ward Six of Monteberg Winery are harvesting Solaris and Siegerrebe grapes today, Aug 16, 2025.
These varieties are said to ripen sooner compared to most other types. They can develop sugars rapidly and maintain their natural acids balanced. Other grapes on the estate generally require additional time before they can be harvested. The team checks the grapes carefully to make sure they are picked at the right moment.
Why did Monteberg Winery start its earliest harvest ever?
According to officials, this year’s harvest is unusual because Solaris and Siegerrebe are being picked earlier than ever before. Warm and sunny weather helped the grapes ripen faster. They mentioned that harvesting early brings both advantages and challenges. It keeps grapes fresh and full of flavour, but timing is very important to maintain sugar and acid balance.
The Monteberg winery in Dranouter has been planting vines for nearly 30 years. Over this time, the estate has seen many harvests, but nothing like this year. Ward Six of the winery said even in 2020, the harvest came early at the end of August, which was already unusual. This year, the harvest began on August 16, setting a new record for the earliest picking. Six said,
“In France, they call it ‘du jamais vu,’ which means you’ve never seen anything like this.”
Belgium remains mainly a beer nation, but wine is gradually taking its place. Six indicated that the quality of Belgian wines continues to improve, as well as output. He stated that climate change has created more favourable conditions for grape cultivation in the area. Grapes harvested today will be processed into wine that will be ready to taste in April or May next year.
“Certain cultures are shifting. We see this, for example, with olive plantations. They are increasingly moving north. I think there is a bright future for Belgian winegrowing here.”
Says Six
Monteberg Winery is located in Dranouter, in the hilly Heuvelland region of West Flanders. The estate has been producing wine for nearly 3 decades and is known for pioneering early-ripening grape varieties in Belgium, such as Solaris and Siegerrebe.
Belgian wine production is still small compared to traditional wine countries, but it has been steadily growing in both quality and quantity. Experts say that warmer temperatures and longer sunny periods in recent years, partly due to climate change, have helped grapes ripen earlier and improve sugar-acid balance.
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