The organization of Flemish Professional Sommeliers elected the sparkling wine Schorpion Zwart Brut Bruisend (‘Schorpion Black Brut Sparkling’) as best Belgian wine for 2009. The wine is made by resident of Hasselt, Limburg Wilfried Schorpion (44) with grapes from a vineyard of two hectares in Vliermaal (Kortessem). The vineyard is planted with twothirds Chardonnay grapes; the rest are Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc grapes. The production amounts to almost seven thousand bottles. It is the first time Wilfried Schorpion wins a prize with his wine. Schorpion Zwart Brut Bruisend is a sparkling wine made by the traditional method, just like champagne with second fermentation in the bottle. The tasting panel of the Flemish Professional Sommeliers scored the sparkler 90/100. Number two, Meerdael Chardonnay, and number three, 2007 Uylenberger Regent, received 88/100 points. It is the fourth time that the association awards a Belgian wine of the year.
The vineyard in Kortessem where the grapes for Schorpion sparkler grow (photo: Wilfried Schorpion)