It was wonderful to see Belgian wine given some of the credit it is due (Spectrum, May 3). Jancis Robinson, however, focuses solely on the modern era, commenting that “it began with a handful of pioneers in the 1960s”, depriving her readers of the complete picture. In fact, wine production has taken place in Belgium for at least 1,200 years, but came to an abrupt end when, in April 1815, the Tambora volcano erupted in the Dutch East Indies, triggering cold weather that caused winemaking to all but disappear. No one even considered replanting the vineyards at the time because the ensuing famine in the summer of 1816 meant that all available land was used for food.
Anne-Mette & Christopher Foreman
Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium
