Scandinavian wines hope to seduce drinkers

Sipping a glass of native wine in all probability is not what involves thoughts once you go to Scandinavia, however this colder northern area is turning into a brand new wine frontier.

A whole bunch of economic vineyards at the moment are scattered throughout Denmark, Sweden and even Norway, as the primary technology {of professional} winemakers, they’re remodeling what was as soon as a distinct segment pastime right into a small however thriving business.

Far north from Bordeaux in France or Napa Valley in California, greater than 10,000 vines develop on a hillside on Zealand, Denmark’s largest island.

“Folks have found that it is truly potential to develop wine in Denmark, so new individuals are coming 12 months after 12 months,” says Nina Fink, exhibiting the BBC her three-hectare (seven-acre) vineyard, Vejrhøj Vingård .

Nina and her husband Niels began the enterprise 13 years in the past, after retiring from their company jobs in Copenhagen. They primarily develop inexperienced grapes, producing floral white wines, in addition to glowing and rosé.

“We now have longer summer time days with extra solar than in France or Italy, so the situations are completely different,” she explains.

For many Scandinavian vineyards, solaris is the grape of selection – an fragrant hybrid selection nicely suited to colder climates, ripening simply and extra immune to illness, permitting vineyards to keep away from pesticide spraying.

This grape selection was first created in Germany in 1975, however was not adopted in Scandinavia till 2004, after which winemaking took off.

Niels Fink says individuals are positively shocked after they style Vejrhøj Vingård wines. “There’s a bit of twinkle of their eyes, after which comes this half-smile,” he laughs. “Folks prefer it.”

The Finks promote their bottles straight from the vineyard, however additionally they provide a few of Copenhagen’s greatest eating places, together with the three Michelin-starred Geranium.

Initially they produced solely 4,000 bottles a 12 months, however now promote 20,000. “We’re restricted by the availability we’re in a position to provide,” Mr Fink says.

Industrial vineyards in Denmark and Sweden have solely been permitted underneath European Union guidelines since 2000. Winemaking resumed round 2010, with newbie winemakers shifting to extra bold manufacturing.

Curiosity and the truth that “it’s potential” attracted wine entrepreneurs, says Jean Becker of the Danish Wine Affiliation.

“I used to be a kind of who began in 2000. There have been six of us winemakers,” says Mr. Becker, standing in his winery 25 kilometers north of Copenhagen.

At the moment there are 150 business wineries in Denmark totaling 125 hectares of vines, in addition to greater than 1,000 newbie winemakers.

Sweden, in the meantime, has 47 business growers protecting 193 hectares, in response to the Swedish Wine Affiliation, and the most important has 125,000 vines.

“I began with 500 vines,” explains Jean Becker. “At the moment, new winegrowers are beginning with 15,000 to 25,000 vines. They’re beginning on a bigger scale. Is there a marketplace for that? The reply is sure.”

However it’s an business that’s nonetheless in its infancy, in comparison with the 800,000 hectares cultivated in France, and practically 1,000,000 hectares in Spain.

In southern Zealand, Jesper Rye Jensen, who runs Vesterhave Vingaard, produces crimson wines from grape varieties like Pinot Noir and Merlot, normally related to France.

“It’s very troublesome as a result of it’s new to us,” he says. “We now have to study it. It isn’t like in southern Europe, the place there have been technology after technology.”

Knowledge reveals Denmark and Sweden noticed common temperatures improve by nearly two degrees Celsius over the previous 40 to 50 years, resulting in milder winters and longer fruit season. However there stays a threat of frost injury.

Jesper Rye Jensen says that as a northern wine producer, local weather change is working in its favor. “We Danish wine growers are completely satisfied that the climate is getting a bit of higher.”

However Niels Fink believes that world warming is a double-edged sword. “Local weather change brings all types of ills, resembling extra excessive climate, lengthy droughts, heavy rains. It is as threatening right here as wherever else.”

Nonetheless, Professor Torben Bo Toldam-Andersen, a fruit science researcher on the College of Copenhagen, says that reasonably than an extended rising season, it was the emergence of latest, hardier grapes that largely boosted the expansion of Scandinavian vineyards. “Local weather change is actually making issues simpler, however the principle driver is new cultivars.”

He runs a program known as “FastGrapes”, which exams sorts of vines, to seek out essentially the most sturdy and greatest tailored to Northern Europe.

They’re chosen primarily based on how shortly their grapes ripen and their resistance to pests, ailments and different environmental stresses. New crops can then be grown on a bigger scale.

“There are such a lot of issues that go into making an ideal wine,” explains the researcher. “A few of this analysis is going on within the lab… you may see the genes that make it sturdy.”

The primary chosen vines at the moment are rising on 15 check websites in Scandinavia, Lithuania, northern Germany and Belgium.

However even with the absolute best grape varieties and hotter climate, Scandinavian vineyards face many challenges, resembling excessive labor prices and strict guidelines on the usage of chemical therapies to fight any illness within the vineyards.

Romain Chichery says it will also be troublesome for wineries to seek out employees. Born and raised in France, he moved to Sweden shortly after finishing his research in winemaking and viticulture.

Now 27 years previous, the winemaker works at Thora Winery, on the Bjäre peninsula, within the southwest of the nation. “We now have to coach the employees, or we’ve got to carry them in from outdoors.” [the country]”, he mentioned.

However “ranging from scratch” in Sweden, he provides that he enjoys the liberty to experiment. “It’s not simply copy and paste, as has been completed for many years, even centuries, within the older world of viticulture.”

Thora’s proprietor, American expat Heather Öberg, says all the hassle and expense is price it. “We will compete with different European wines,” she says.

But regionally produced Scandinavian wine at the moment represents solely a fraction of the buyer market and bottles are costly. Danish wine in Denmark prices from 200 kroner ($27; £22) a bottle, greater than double the value of the most cost effective French and Spanish imports. Solely a negligible amount is exported.

“We’ll by no means compete with France, Italy and Spain as a result of they’ve very low costs,” says Mr Becker.

At his central Copenhagen wine store, Vino Fino, proprietor Nicolai Christiansen sells primarily French wine. But he claims to have lately offered a case of Danish wine to a bar proprietor in France.

“For those who can promote it to a Frenchman, you may in all probability promote it to everybody,” he jokes.

Nonetheless, he isn’t but satisfied about Danish wine. “Danish wine continues to be too costly,” he says. “It is coming. However I nonetheless assume there’s nonetheless a solution to go earlier than the standard is there.”