Beautiful sunshine and high temperatures, the weather invites people to enjoy fruit, and for many, grapes are a must. Imported grapes are always available by now, but in Overijse, Belgium, August is a special time when Belgian grapes return to the market. "People start calling as soon as they think we might have them, asking if we can begin a bit earlier. Some even try to reserve them. It's become a yearly tradition," says grape grower Ronald Vanderkelen.
Still, the grower from Overijse consistently begins his season in mid-August. "People are often impatient, but we prefer to stick to a fixed sales period," he explains. "It'll be an early season this year, so some colleagues will start quite a bit sooner, but for us it will be the 16th or 18th of August again. I'm not worried about sales. Whether it's an early or late season, I always manage to sell all my grapes."
Nothing bad to report
Ronald's season will then continue until early October. He is pleased with the quality of this year's grapes. "I think we can expect a fantastic season. We've had a lot of sunshine and high temperatures. There were a couple of heat waves, but thankfully, they were manageable. We got through them without issue. Honestly, there's nothing bad to report, which is rare, but all the more welcome. Now we just hope the summer weather holds during the season and that we avoid any major heat waves."
In recent years, there has been renewed attention on Belgian grape growing. Many growers had exited the scene, and younger generations showed little interest. And yet, sales have never been a problem; demand continues to exceed supply every year. "Now we're finally starting to see some progress. Recently, a few young people have taken up grape growing. Two are doing it as a side job, and I expect a third will follow soon. It's a first step and a positive development for the future, where Belgian grapes definitely deserve a place."
Future for new growers
Challenges still remain, though. "The biggest one is energy. That's more of a personal issue for me, though. At my age, I won't be making big changes anymore, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay profitable. This growing season started off with high costs again. Fuel oil prices began to fall a little, and we hoped things would improve. But then geopolitical developments sent prices soaring once more. I don't expect this to change anytime soon. Heating greenhouses remains expensive, and we'll have to work around it."
"That said, I'm not pessimistic about Belgian grape growing overall. New growers who start with gas heating, for example, will face fewer challenges on this front, so I do see a bright future for the sector."
For more information:
Ronald Vanderkelen
Druiven Ronald Vanderkelen
Groeneweg 62
3090 Overijse, Belgium
Tel: +32 471 84 45 96
[email protected]
www.druivenronaldvanderkelen.be
