Since 2001, Winewise has been offering professional and certified wine courses in Antwerp and Ghent and with this new location it targets the hospitality business, wine trade and wine lovers in the Brussels area. WineWise is the recognized provider in Belgium and the Netherlands for all courses of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the international world leader for wine education.

« Wine education is globally on the rise, » says Sybille Troubleyn, founder of WineWise, « Last year, more than 100,000 people took a WSET qualification, a growth of 15%. With our new location, we are responding to the increasing demand on the Belgian market. ».

By attending a professional wine course, wine merchants and (future) wine professionals can select and advise wine with more knowledge. In addition, Winewise also focuses on the
Brussels hospitality industry. « Composing an attractive wine list and giving suitable wine advice is still a pain point in many restaurants, » says Sybille Troubleyn. « We want to enable them to provide better customer service by giving their staff more professional wine knowledge”.

For more information on the courses, you may visit their website.

The post WineWise opens new wine education centre in Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

The post Two Belgian sparkling wines win medals at the World’s Best Sparking Wines Competition appeared first on Brussels Express.

Patricia Marques aims to bridge that gap between Belgium and Portugal. Patricia is a Portuguese expat who has lived in Brussels since 1990. She began here by working for the Portuguese government in tourism and commercial promotion. This path lead her to learn the intricacies of wine in order to present the exports to Belgium and Luxembourg. So acquainted with the craft that when she left her government job in 2008, she decided nine years later that she wanted to continue her mission of bringing the wine to the country and so she started her own company in order to realise this goal.

What does your company do? 

It acts as the link between wine producers in Portugal and retailers in Belgium. I source wineries in Portugal who produce wine which I find to be good quality and then enter a partnership with them in which they add their products to our collection. I then go and find partnerships with companies in Belgium who would be interested in purchasing these wines in whatever capacity and continuity they choose. And we distribute ourselves these wines in some restaurants, wine shops and wine bars in Belgium.

Why did you want to export Portuguese wines?

When I was working for the Portuguese government here in Belgium, I got a great understanding of wine and learned to really enjoy the craft. In 2000, when I began to be involved in the promotion of wines and agros-alimentaire, I saw that Portugal has such unique flavours and quality. I wanted to help them to get the exposure they deserve, so I was sent on various courses to learn and learn I did.

At the time, the wine produced in the country was usually just for the domestic consumption but new opportunities appeared thanks to the EU. Namely in terms of exports. I wanted to take the chance and do a part of that job in Benelux.

How did you first start your business?

The first four years I was working with other two companies and running some events to gain exposure to both my company and to the potential wines we could offer.  After doing this for a while, we started gaining momentum and getting contracts. As of now, my company has now grown to be one of the most important in Belgium which offers Portuguese wine.

How has it been going so far?

It has been going well. I think that the new techniques and technology in the Portuguese industry has made for some fantastic wines and people are beginning to realise this. We have now connected distributors around Belgium with producers in Portugal, have an office and shop in Ixelles and have just started a partnership with Grand Chais de France for international distribution from a specific brand created in partnership with Joao Portugal Ramos Wines and Vinhos de Darei.  Since 2006, I have also helped the organization of the international contest « Concours Mondial de Bruxelles » which is the first one that features over 9000 wines from 48 countries. This year’s contest took place in Beijing. It was the first out of Europe, and the Portuguese wines won 324 medals out of 1062 wines!

What is your hopes for Portuguese wine in Belgium? 

I aim to bring the wine from the different regions in Portugal from various producers and have them widely available here in Belgium. Currently, more than 70% of wines consumed in Belgium are still French, with 80% of these wines bought from a supermarket. Although it seems like a cornered market, after success with the Horeca sector, we have now even managed to carve a space out for ourselves in retail. Now, the majority of Portuguese wines sold in supermarkets come from dealings with my agency.

What wines have been doing well?

Belgium was for a long time the biggest consumer per capita for port wine. They know the region of Douro from which it comes, and thus, they are quite interested in buying from that region due to experience.

As for the other variants, people have been a bit hesitant to try because they feature grapes that they’ve never heard of before. But they are now leaving their comfort zones to try these new wines from the country, but usually, they are preferred if they feature recognisable grapes blended with those native to Portugal. Wines from Lisbon and Alentejo are proving particularly prevalent in the supermarket, especially amongst younger consumers, who want a lighter and more fruity wine.

Good to know:

The Sol Ar
70, rue du Page – 1050 – Brussels
Phone: 02 537 78 47

The post Patricia Marques: Mrs. Portuguese Wine in Belgium appeared first on Brussels Express.

The thing you should know about the products here, is that they all come from the Languedoc region in France. That’s where Henri’s father is a vigneron and so Henri knows all the stuff about good wines, be it natural, biodynamic, bio or just the good old traditional wines. And that’s what you’ll get at ‘La Trinquette’, a variety of wines to choose from. Great reds, whites and roses from all over the region, by bottle or by glass and of course Henri is more than happy to talk you through the selection. But not only the wines, also the rillettes, the sausages, the ham, olives, cheese…everything is from Languedoc and everything tastes fresh and of high quality.

The vibrant wine bar definitely feels like your second living room. Its cosy interior, the very friendly, very French and lively owner and his helpers are up for a good laugh and some banter and immediately make you feel welcome.

Emma and I went for the mixed charcuterie platter and a glass of their “Grande Cuvee” followed by a glass each of the natural Demoiselle red. The cuvee was my personal favourite, a cuvee from Grenache, Syrah and a bit of Carignan, oh yes. Feeling tempted to try something else we also went for the artisanal duck rillettes – very delicious.

The place also has seating outside, so if Brussels weather is in your favour that’s a nice spot, too. It’s a great spot to hang out with friends or to go when your parents are in town. Relaxed, but not too much, vibrant but not too noisy and great wines and produce from France. What more?!

Good to know:

• Rue de l’Aqueduc Rue de l’Aqueduc, 1060 – Saint-Gilles
• Reservations: 02 537 94 59
• Prices: Around 4-6E for a glass, 23-30 for a bottle, 16E for a mixed charcuterie platter

The post La Trinquette – Your second living room appeared first on Brussels Express.

As is the case with hotels of this calibre, there is a real concerted effort in offering excellent cuisine. But this extension is not just for guest, no the Icones restaurant at Martin’s Brussels EU is entirely its own entity, one that tops hotel dining and strives for culinary excellence.

The restaurant beholds a soothingly spaced and dark wood dining area with many tables spaced along the areas within reach of the broad french windows overlooking the patio; allowing a soft light to emanate throughout the room.

With a recent arrival of the new head chef Fabrice van de Schoor directing the kitchen, Icones began offering acclaimed business lunch menus for those in the area, and after much success, is expanding its horizons and broadening its palette to offer a brand new selection that is this year vying to be on Bib Gourmand Michelin’s list. « A Bib Gourmand rating means the restaurant offers a 3-course menu of choice at maximum 37 euro. So people must have a choice between minimum 2 starters, 2 main courses, and 2 desserts. We offer 6 of each, however some with a supplement so we can work sometimes with langoustines, sole, foie gras, Saint-Jacques etc. » explains Chef Fabrice van de Schoor.

Having been schooled in Waterloo and worked several jobs before undertaking his current role (including sous chef), the young Fabrice has brought new twists to the dishes and aimed to reinvent many typical European dishes with a Belgian twist. « We brand European Cuisine with a Belgian touch. We are constantly creating new recipes, based on European cuisine, by working with local products » says Chef Fabrice van de Schoor.

Some of these fusions debut on their recently introduced set menu, where you are treated to an appetizer, main and dessert for €37. « We have 18 dishes on our menu.  Two people can both pay 37 euro for a completely different dish. Total liberty. » continues chef Fabrice.

It’s exactly that what we don’t want to do. 2 people can both pay 37 euro

A brilliant and contemporary take on a traditional dish, paella is an example on this menu that is excellently fused. Using risotto instead of Spanish rice and adding battered Belgian mussels, the mussels coddle the rice and accompany a succulent chicken portion that is glazed with octopus juices and stuffed with chorizo.

For dessert, a typical Italian, semifreddo, but with a twist. cut fresh kiwi, creme circled within its green walls and a Belgian waffle base, reinventing the concept in a Belgian style.

There is a large beer selection, that of course, includes some of Belgium’s best, and a nice wine selection that even has wine from Belgium; not something you see every day. Icones collects both red and whites from a vineyard in Limbourg in East Belgium which boasts distinct flavours and rich nuance that pairs excellently with dishes both foreign and domestic.

So should you wish to broaden your pallet and taste truly new nuance within your food, it’s no stretch to see why Icones would be a good choice, regardless of your tastes.

Good to know:

• 80, Boulevard Charlemagne – 1000 – Brussels
• Monday – Thursday: 12:00-14:15 – 19:00-21:15, Friday: 12:00-14:15, Saturday: 19:00-21:15
• Booking: +32 2 235 17 28

The post Icones Restaurant towards Bib Gourmand Michelin’s list? appeared first on Brussels Express.

For Georgians, wine is more than just a drink. The wine strengthens the national spirit and unites the guests during traditional Caucasian holidays. Wine is mentioned in Georgian legends, stories, and songs. It’s a true national treasure, that attracts tourists and sommeliers from around the world.

Georgia is one of the main grapevine cultivation in the world. In 2003, a study conducted by Patrick McGovern, a molecular archaeologist from the University of Pennsylvania, revealed that the earliest evidence for grapevine cultivation from the Middle East appeared around 6,000–5,800 BC during the early Neolithic Period at a place named Gadachrili Gora. Roughly 50km south of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

During the archaeological excavations in the burial grounds of the bronze age, pitchers with grape seed remnants, wine equipment – stone presses, wine presses, various wine vessels made of clay and metal, dating back to the 9th-10th centuries BC, were found.

Georgian table wines do not contain sugar. They have a slightly sour taste. Their wine collections are available only after ageing in Kvevri (special Georgian clay jugs) and bottled for ripening for 3-20 years.

In 2013, the traditional Georgian Kvevri wine-making method was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The making of wine in qvevri is the oldest known method of wine production and it was from Georgia that wine-making in qvevri spread to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and beyond.

“The tradition plays a vital role in everyday life and celebrations, and forms an inseparable part of the cultural identity of Georgian communities, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs. Knowledge of this heritage is passed down by families, neighbours and friends, all of whom join in the communal harvesting and wine-making activities” said the UNESCO back in 2013.

Wine is an inevitable part of the rituals during Georgian holidays and is also used in everyday life. Traditionally, wine drinking is a ritual, regardless of how accidental the event is..

One of the traditional ways to drink wine is from a special vessel named « Kanchi », which is a hollow goat horn. Regardless of the nature of the event, the most common way of drinking in Georgia is « bolo mde »,  which means « to the bottom ».

Each guest in a Georgian family, especially a foreigner, is offered wine made by the hosts or their relatives. The wine culture exists in all regions of Georgia for many years, therefore the tradition of making home wine is spread throughout the country, even in the big cities of Tbilisi and Batumi.

The post Georgia, the oldest wine producer in the world appeared first on Brussels Express.

Although both wine and beer are described and presented as ‘traditional’ and home-made products, the reality is quite different. Most of the brands are today owned by major international companies and the process is not as eco-friendly as it is could be.

Movements have emerged over the last years and alternative ways of running a beer or a wine factory have been gathering more and more supporters and stakeholders.

That’s the vision the Vini, Birre, Ribelli festival aims to promote and defend at the end of November, in Brussels. Under the banner of sustainability and organic food, this event will gather stakeholders who resist to food industrialisation.

Going towards Zero Waste

This year the festival expects more then 4 000 visitors: « As for the first three editions, this exhibition will be exclusively craft, sustainable, organic and mostly natural products. Bringing together in a single location the beer and wine’s alternative worlds and food that is good, clean and fair is definitively unique in Belgium » says the organisers.

The theme of this fourth edition is “Zero Waste” and the event will therefore honour the people who really care about sorting waste and respecting the environment in their daily business life. Workshops on market access will also be held for the professionals and future entrepreneurs who are interested in.

The Vini, Birre, Rubella festival was conceived by Enrico D’Ambrogio, Patrick Böttcher and Jean Hummler, Moeder Lambic’s owner that Brussels Express interviewed some months ago.

Good to know:
List of exhibitors and agenda
Tickets:
One Day price: 13€ online and 15€ on the spot 
Two Days price: 18€ online and 20€ on the spot 

The post Wine? Beer? Rebels? Where? appeared first on Brussels Express.

Megavino also focuses on the origin of wines and the life of the wine growers. Wine contests, workshops, conferences, tips on how to associate wine with food, wine accessories and other activities are scheduled during the event. The guest of honor of Megavino 2017 is Bulgaria, one of the oldest wine producing countries. 

Bulgaria – guest of honour

Bessa Valley Winery

The post Megavino 2017: Bulgaria Guest of Honor appeared first on Brussels Express.