What now for the Belgian Senate's secret wine cellar?
With the Belgian Senate set to disappear by 2029, one of its most peculiar legacies may go with it: a forgotten wine cellar that once held more than 2,000 bottles. As De Morgen reports, only about 200 remain - many probably undrinkable - raising the question: sell, donate or let them gather dust?
Hidden behind an unmarked door beneath the 18th-century building, the cellar consists of two modest rooms, now lined with dust-covered shelves and faded tasting notes. Famous guests have sampled its offerings, including former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who enjoyed an Alsatian white during a visit in 2000.
But the cellar has been dormant for years, with the last recorded use by a Slovakian delegation in 2009. An attempt to sell the remaining stock in 2010 - at an asking price of 20,000 euros - was shelved.
Political folklore
Anecdotes and political folklore have long been associated with the cellar. Former Belgian prime minister and MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who served in the Senate in the 1990s, is said to have arranged informal visits to the cellar, which he would enrich with a remarkable selection of Italian wines.
Although tongue-in-cheek described as "expeditions", Senate staff confirm that these visits did take place, albeit without the Indiana Jones flair often imagined.
Over time, the cellar has become a relic of a political culture that made room for long lunches and ceremonial toasts. Nowadays, plenary sessions are held in the morning and caterers bring their own wines to the rare receptions.
Notably, there are no Belgian wines in the Senate's collection - a point of mild regret among current staff. "If it were to be replenished today, Belgian quality wines would certainly be included," a Senate spokesperson told De Morgen.
© PHOTO IMAGEBROKER
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