Grevenmacher’s Wine Market, traditionally held on the first Friday after Easter, marks the beginning of the wine season along the Moselle. The event offers the first opportunity to taste wine from the previous harvest. 40 winemakers participated in the 94th edition, giving visitors a choice of 450 different wines and crémants. For Mayor Monique Hermes, the Wine Market is a cultural highlight of the town, calling it Grevenmacher’s “second National Day”.
Yet consumer habits have shifted. People are spending less on luxury foods, living in flats without adequate storage, or choosing to consume less alcohol. The figures are clear: per-capita alcohol consumption in Luxembourg has fallen by about 10% in recent years. This reflects a global trend, and the Grand Duchy is no exception.
Some Moselle winemakers have responded by producing alcohol-free wines. Winemaker Mathis Bohnenberger said this is one way to address initiatives like Dry January. Still, the trend remains modest. Of the 450 samples at this year’s Wine Market, only about a dozen were alcohol-free. Domaines Vinsmoselle also noted that while demand for alcohol-free wines is rising, it remains a niche product, accounting for just 1% of the cooperative’s total production.
Alcohol-free wines taste different from traditional ones, but winemakers are working to improve the flavour using new techniques. Jean-Marc Schlink, who five years ago became the first Luxembourg winemaker to offer an alcohol-free wine, switched to a new process last year. He says the new method makes the product drier and therefore more “wine-y”.
Many customers remain sceptical, however, and stick to “real wine”. Mayor Hermes admitted she personally does not enjoy alcohol-free wine or crémant, though she stressed that it is a free society and everyone may choose for themselves. She argued that wine, as a natural product, should not be demonised, adding that not everyone who enjoys a glass from time to time is an alcoholic. “These are wrong clichés, and I don’t think that’s any good”, she said.
Despite declining wine consumption, towns and villages across the Moselle Valley intend to continue promoting their winemaking culture. This is also part of the national strategy to develop wine tourism in Luxembourg. Tourism Minister Lex Delles said he sees potential for overnight stays in the vineyards, which could offer winemakers a way to compensate for possible revenue losses in their core business.
