Things have not been easy for Belgian grapes in recent years. Energy costs remain a thorny issue and growers are struggling to find succession, raising concerns about the future of the Belgian product. Nevertheless, Belgian grapes remain as popular as ever. This is evident again this year at the start of the Overijse Grape Festival, for which preparations are currently under way. "A lot of people keep coming every year and this year, too, a great event is planned from tomorrow to Tuesday," says Philip Dewit of the grape-growing company of the same name from Overijse.
Preparations are also in full swing at Philip's farm. It is, says the largest Flemish grape grower, a wonderful way to put the spotlight on Belgian grapes. Because the future of Belgian grape growing is still sometimes in doubt, but this is by no means the case at Druiven Dewit. "With us, the succession is already in place. Koen has also caught the bug and will take over the company from the next turn of the year. It's the fifth generation. That's nice, after all. I will remain active, of course, but he will then be responsible for the operations," Philip explains. A unique achievement in an industry where succession is increasingly difficult to find for various reasons.
Under-supply
"I am very happy that our future is assured," he continues. That there are problems in supply rather than in demand is also a special situation, because problems in sales are certainly not experienced by the few remaining Flemish growers. "Rather, there is undersupply. Demand remains as high as ever every year. This year too. We started around mid-July and you see immediately that people are on the doorstep. It is around the same time every year with us. We start heating just after the turn of the year, after which the grapes ripen about six months later. Eventually, weather conditions do have a bit of an influence, because sometimes you have to heat a bit extra to get the moisture out of the greenhouse, but generally it will stay at 20 degrees, so we can expect them at the same time."
So again this year, and according to Philip, the quality very good again. "They definitely look good. The grapes have been able to grow at their leisure because there were no very hot days. If it gets very hot quickly, they want to ripen too soon and will stay too small. This season, they have slowly been able to get nice and thick. Just the way we like them; that's what people come to us for. That situation has only increased in recent years. The short chain has really upgraded a lot since corona. A lot of people started visiting then, and discovered the short chain. After that, they kept coming, so we are still in a situation where demand exceeds supply."
Looking to expand
When asked whether the high demand, combined with the limited number of growers, is pushing Philip and his son to expand, he holds off for now. "As mentioned, my son Koen is going to take over the business on 1 January. There does seem to be room to expand in the current market. In sales, it won't be a problem, but we also need to get the work done. We are a family business, and expansion also means additional labour. That's not necessarily a problem, but then we have to find them. Let me put it this way, we are thinking about it."
Challenges, on the other hand, remain. "It's the eternal story of energy costs. That is always a problem that is out of our control. If something happens in the world, prices rise, and we have to deal with it. There is nothing we can do to change that. The hard part is that prices won't come down any time soon, either. Only, we are now at a point where increasing is actually no longer possible either, because we can no longer pass it on to the customer. Grapes are a niche product, which are already on the expensive side. Now people are still paying high prices for a local product, but we really can't make them any more expensive."
Grape festivals
Nevertheless, Philip and his family's gaze now turns to the days ahead, as the Grape Festivals are scheduled from tomorrow. "We are in full preparation. We are also participating in the grape exhibition again, where growers supply their fruit. People can then come and see, taste and buy these. In addition, the fruit will be judged, with first, second and third prizes being awarded in the early years. This is now no longer the case due to the lack of growers, but there are still plenty of grapes to enjoy."
"Furthermore, a wide range of events have been organised through Tuesday. Normally, the festivals were always from Friday to Wednesday, but the grape race, which was normally on Wednesday, is now Friday, so it has been brought forward a day to hold the race during the festivals. Moreover, Flemish singers will perform every evening, well-known artists, and during the day there are senior citizens' and children's afternoons, a local produce market, flea market and float parade. So plenty to do and all with the grape in mind. Finally, a grape ambassador will also be elected, representing both grapes and the municipality. Evening events are free, so we cordially invite everyone to come along."
For more information:
Philip Dewit
Druiven Dewit
Brusselsesteenweg 262
3090 Overijse, Belgium
+32(0)478 54 24 55
[email protected]
www.drui vendewit.be
www.facebook.com/DruivenDewitOverijs