Uncorking a piece of history

Luxembourg didn't always produce sparkling wines and cremants. There was a time when the Grand Duchy was known as an outlet for Champagne too.

More than a century ago the country hosted a bottling factory for renowned Champagne producers E. Mercier and Cie. The firm, which is based in Epernay, France, expanded its business over the border to benefit from lower taxes, thus making Champagne cheaper to produce.

The firm initially outsourced bottling functions at the Fetschenhof Dumoulin fort in Cents, on the outskirts of the capital, from 1885. At the time, Luxembourg was subject to German customs regulations. Trade took off rapidly and, a year later, E. Mercier and Cie moved premises closer to the central railway station.

At its peak, Luxembourg was bottling and exporting more than 30,000 bottles of bubbly per day. Meanwhile, the trade kept some 85 people in work. The business continued to operate out of Luxembourg up until WWI after which Mercier lost its footing in the market and Luxembourg began producing its own sparkling wines.