Luxembourg wine legislation — official wine regions
1. PDO / AOP — Appellation d'Origine Protégée
Luxembourg has only this single wine PDO. “Crémant de Luxembourg” is not a separate AOP but a traditional term within category 5 of the same AOP. The other Luxembourg EU files (PDO-LU-0060, PDO-LU-0061, PGI-LU-0062, PGI-LU-0063) concern foodstuffs: Beurre rose, Miel luxembourgeois de marque nationale, Viande de porc and Salaisons fumées.
2. Quality pyramid within the AOP Moselle Luxembourgeoise
| Level | Origin requirement | Max. yield | Additional requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieu-dit (highest level) | At least 85% of the grapes from the named, strictly delimited vineyard | 75 hl/ha | Manual harvesting compulsory; rosé and gris are excluded |
| Coteaux de | At least 85% of the grapes from the named unit | 75 hl/ha | Manual harvesting compulsory |
| Côtes de (canton, municipality or municipal section) | At least 85% of the grapes from that geographical unit | Basic yield 100 hl/ha; 115 hl/ha for Elbling and Rivaner. The AOP site states 75–100 hl/ha. | Entry level of the pyramid |
| AOP Moselle Luxembourgeoise (basic designation) | Less than 85% from a single canton: only the designation without a geographical unit may then be used | Basic yield 100 hl/ha; 115 hl/ha for Elbling and Rivaner | Butoir table Annexe IV: 115 becomes 140, 100 becomes 120, 85 becomes 100, 75 becomes 90 hl/ha; set annually by the Fonds de solidarité viticole |
| Crémant de Luxembourg (separate pillar) | Grapes from the AOP area | n/a (no different yield limit in the retrieved sources) | See section 4 for the production rules |
The national AOP site presents the pyramid as LIEU-DIT above COTEAUX DE above CÔTES DE, with Crémant de Luxembourg as a separate pillar, and refers to Coteaux de and Lieu-dit as “les Grand premier crus”. Note: the term “Côtes de” appears on the AOP site and in the 2015 opinion of the Chamber of Commerce, but Article 8 of the 2016 Grand-Ducal Regulation formally refers only to names of municipal sections, municipalities and cantons.
3. Permitted traditional terms and special indications
| Term | Requirements | Permitted varieties |
|---|---|---|
| Premier cru | Basic yield 85 hl/ha | Annexe II: Rivaner, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Muscat-Ottonel, Gewürztraminer |
| Grand premier cru | Basic yield 75 hl/ha; manual harvesting compulsory | Annexe III: same list as Annexe II, but without Rivaner |
| Vendanges tardives | Minimum 105° Oechsle; for Riesling 95° Oechsle. Late harvest. Total alcoholic strength min. 18% vol, actual alcoholic strength min. 12% vol. | Auxerrois, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer |
| Vin de glace | Minimum 120° Oechsle; grapes harvested frozen and pressed at no more than -7°C. Total min. 18% vol, actual min. 12% vol. | Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling |
| Vin de paille | Minimum 130° Oechsle; at least two months’ drying on straw or reed mats; enrichment prohibited. Total min. 18% vol, actual min. 12% vol. | Auxerrois, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Gewürztraminer |
| Crémant de Luxembourg | Quality sparkling wine made by the traditional method; see section 4 | Not exhaustively specified in the retrieved sources: n/a |
| Vieilles vignes | Exclusively from vines at least 35 years old | All AOP varieties |
| Pinot (assemblage) | Blend of Auxerrois, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris | Auxerrois, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris |
Article 11 of the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 24 August 2016 restricts the permitted traditional terms exhaustively to premier cru, grand premier cru, vendanges tardives, vin de paille, vin de glace and Crémant de Luxembourg; combining two terms is prohibited. The terms “Vin classé” and “Château” still appear in the EU eAmbrosia register, but no longer appear in Article 11 — the EU register has not been updated on this point.
4. Production rules for Crémant de Luxembourg
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Harvest | Manual harvesting compulsory |
| Pressing yield | Maximum 100 litres of must per 150 kg of grapes |
| Vins de rebêche | Collected separately, minimum 7% vol, and may not be sold under the designation |
| Press register | Carnet de pressoir compulsory |
| Minimum natural alcoholic strength | 8% vol potential |
| Tirage | Not before 1 January following the harvest |
| Second fermentation | In bottle (méthode traditionnelle) |
| Lees ageing | At least nine months, continuous and in the same undertaking |
| Millésimé (vintage Crémant) | At least 85% from the same harvest year and at least 24 months on the lees |
| Excess pressure | At least 4 atmospheres at 20°C |
| Total sulphur dioxide | Maximum 150 mg/l |
| Residual sugar | Less than 50 g/l |
| Cork | Must bear the wording "Crémant de Luxembourg" |
| Bottling of still AOP wine (for comparison) | Within nine months |
Crémant de Luxembourg was introduced by the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 4 January 1991 and, since the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 24 August 2016, has been governed as a traditional term within the AOP Moselle Luxembourgeoise.