From León to Zwijnaarde
In 1991, Lodewijk Waes went to the University of León to take a postgraduate degree in private international law. What began as a stay devoted to his studies grew into a discovery of the Spanish world of wine. A year later, he came home with an idea he could not let go of: a wine estate of his own, in his own country.
That idea was years in the making. When farmland became available along the Scheldt in 2005, it became a reality. Lodewijk made a deliberate choice to start small. And he did something few dared to do at the time: work with modern grape varieties that were still virtually unknown in Belgium. It was pioneering work, with everything that entails. Since then, year after year, the work has gone on: building quality, a new wine culture and a unique wine experience. The same drive has also defined his professional career as a lawyer at the West Flanders Bar. Today, Lodewijk runs the estate together with a small, dedicated team.
Wijndomein Waes is more than a vineyard. It is a place where history is given new life, where passion is bottled and where every harvest is a promise to the future.
The Hedgehog
Taking pride of place in our logo is the golden hedgehog, the animal that has symbolised Wijndomein Waes from the very beginning. Originally taken from the 18th-century coat of arms of our ancestors, the Waes family of Bruges, it embodies not only our family heritage, but also our bond with, and respect for, nature.
The hedgehog is set against a shield in the shape of a wine glass — a link to the historic coat of arms and a subtle nod to our craft. As in the coat of arms, the letter W takes a central place as the anchor of the emblem. With this visual identity, we pay tribute to our roots while setting our sights on the future. That is also why the hedgehog faces right. For although we look back with pride on the years gone by, we believe the best is yet to come.
Commitment to the sector
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The non-profit organisation Belgian Winegrowers was founded in 2009 and has grown into the leading representative body for the Belgian wine sector. Today, it represents more than 85 per cent of professional winegrowers in Flanders.
The association is an active partner in dialogue with governments, knowledge institutions, research centres, sector federations and other representative bodies. It supports its members with training and advice, and works to promote Belgian wine at home and abroad.
Lodewijk Waes has played an active role in the association from the very start, first as secretary and vice-president, and today as president.
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Two representative bodies are active in the Belgian wine sector. On the Flemish side, the non-profit organisation Belgian Winegrowers was founded in 2009; on the Walloon side, the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie asbl followed in 2012 and is currently chaired by Vanessa Vaxelaire.
Recognising the added value of working together across the language border, Lodewijk Waes, president of Belgian Winegrowers, and Pierre Rion, then president of the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie, joined forces in 2018 to create the Wines of Belgium label.
This umbrella organisation brings both associations together and represents the Belgian wine sector at home and abroad.
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BelBul is the quality mark and recognisable generic name for Belgian sparkling wine made by the traditional method. The label is a joint initiative of Belgian Winegrowers and the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie, and aims to strengthen the position of Belgian bubbles on both the national and the international market.
Strict conditions apply to wines that carry the label. The wine must be produced using the méthode traditionnelle, hold Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and be 100% Belgian: both grape growing and vinification must take place entirely on Belgian soil.
BelBul also requires a minimum of twelve months’ ageing sur lattes, whereas the PDO rules prescribe a minimum of nine months. In doing so, the label deliberately opts for extra quality, finesse and complexity.
What began with 22 founding members has since grown into a collective of 33 member wine estates across Belgium, together accounting for more than one million bottles. BelBul is led by Lodewijk Waes and Vanessa Vaxelaire, who are also the presidents of Belgian Winegrowers and the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie respectively.
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CEVI, the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers, is the only international organisation representing independent European winegrowers: entrepreneurs who, as both grower and winemaker, run their own, often family-owned estate and deal directly with consumers.
Belgium joined CEVI in 2017 on the initiative of Lodewijk Waes, president of Belgian Winegrowers, and Pierre Rion, then president of the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie. Today the confederation has thirteen members: Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.
As presidents of Belgian Winegrowers and the Association des Vignerons de Wallonie respectively, Lodewijk Waes and Vanessa Vaxelaire sit on the CEVI board of directors on behalf of Belgium. This gives Belgian winegrowing a voice when European wine policy takes shape.
