Where good wine needs no tradition

The wine world is complaining about declining consumption, discussing forced grubbing and taking a negative view of the future. The whole wine world? No, up in the north of Europe there is a country with an up-and-coming wine industry full of confidence. The mood there is upbeat, the winegrowers are in high spirits and the wineries are expanding.

The country is called Sweden. To speak of a wine industry is still somewhat exaggerated. At the moment, between 200 and 250 hectares are planted with vines. But nobody knows for sure, as nobody needs a licence to plant vines and there are no official figures (yet). This is surprising in a country where many citizens are sceptical about alcohol and sales in the "Systembolaget" shops of the state alcohol monopoly are heavily regulated. "At the moment, nobody cares, everyone can plant as much wine as they want. But the authorities are slowly realising that there is money to be made here," says Anette Ivarsson, owner of the Arilds Vingård winery in Arild.

It all began in the 1990s with a few hobby winegrowers. In 1999, Sweden was officially recognised by the EU as a wine-growing region. This meant that the wineries became larger and more professional. Only recently, the winegrowers' association Svenskt Vin was founded on a private initiative—the first ever in Sweden. There are as yet no recognised geographical indications or even rules for designations of origin. Everything is bottled and labelled under "Wine from Sweden". To find out more, I spent two days travelling in the Skåne region between Malmö and Gothenburg on the south-west coast of Sweden.

In Sweden, 5,000 hectares are potentially suitable for growing wine—and all of them are located on the coast. This is the result of research carried out by the University of Lund. Close to the sea, it doesn't get too cold in winter and the constant wind ensures that the vineyards are well ventilated. Just a few kilometres further inland, the risk of frost increases disproportionately. "We can't make ice wine," says Felix G. Åhrberg, an Austrian-trained Swedish oenologist with international experience. When I meet him at his new workplace in Burgenland, he reports: "We are adding 15 to 20 hectares per year, and this development is likely to accelerate. It is important that we quickly reach 500 to 1,000 hectares. This is the critical mass that will make it interesting for suppliers of equipment and treatment products to have a presence in Sweden." Until now, winegrowers have had to import all of this from abroad at great expense. "It would also strengthen our position with the authorities," he emphasises, "at the moment, viticulture is the responsibility of the Swedish Medicines Agency, and they have no idea what we do." His optimism is palpable in every minute of our conversation: "The conditions for viticulture are excellent! The more added value a winery generates, the more winegrowers Sweden will have."

20 per cent more daylight than Bordeaux

Around 95 per cent of the vines here are Piwi varieties. As copper is banned in Swedish agriculture, the only pesticides left are sulphur, magnesium and baking powder. Piwis therefore offer the best chance for reliable yields. In fact, viticulture in Sweden is practised organically. The most widely planted variety is Solaris, but there is a lot of experimentation to find the most suitable varieties. This is associated with setbacks: Frost damage, coulure, insufficient nutrients. All the winegrowers I visited are working hard to build up the soil with compost and create humus. Felix Åhrberg says: "Many people plant the wrong varieties in the wrong places. Wineries often get bad advice from experts who think too highly of themselves."

But not everyone relies on Piwis. At Thora Vingård in Båstad, Pinot Noir Précoce, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Chenin Blanc are currently planted alongside Solaris, with Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Malbec soon to follow. The oenologists in charge, Romain Chichery and Emma Berto, studied at the University of Viticulture in Montpellier. Why do they favour the classic varieties? "Solaris reacts very sensitively to all weather changes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are more stable. Our growing season is very short. Flowering ends around 20 June, at the solstice. Then things happen quickly because we have almost 24 hours of daylight. That's 20 per cent more light than Bordeaux has during the growing season." Romain is convinced of the success of Cabernet Franc, as it is hardly exposed to the risk of frost due to its late flowering. "In some places we can work according to biodynamic guidelines without any problems, but not in all of them," he explains. Their approach is regenerative viticulture, as the soil still needs to be built up—previously cattle grazed here. Rainfall totals around 700 millimetres per year, with a maximum of 500 millimetres during the growing season. "We manage plant protection with eight sprays a year," says Emma. Thora Vingård has currently planted around 53,000 vines on eleven hectares, a fifth of which are Solaris. The goal is 20 hectares. They sell the wines from the farm, in their own excellent restaurant and to 70 restaurants in Sweden.

Things are different at Kullabergs Vingård. Founder Björn Odlander earned a lot of money with medical technology, his wife Paulina Berglund is an architect and built the winery. However, Odlander also enjoys working here himself. When I meet him by chance on my tour through the vineyards, he is on his way to tie up the vines. Before, he draws my attention not to the beautiful buildings or the immaculately tended vines, but to a compost heap: "We need to prepare the soil further and apply mineral fertiliser. We use compost and tea to strengthen the microbiology. We also want to bind CO2," he says.

Kullaberg even exports abroad and has recently employed Helena Lindberg, the former head oenologist at Tenuta Biserno in Tuscany. Vineyard manager Nicola D'Agostini also comes from Italy. Felix Åhrberg has done crucial work here: Kullabergs Vingård won the first international "Swedish Wine Tasting" in 2024 against international competition with its Solaris Immelen 2021. In the wine bar, the wines can be tasted with small dishes—even without prior training.

No equal opportunities, but great opportunities

Tina Berthelsen's desire to make wine also arose during a trip to Italy. In 2010, the former manager of a food wholesaler discovered Montalcino and its wines, and in 2015 she and her husband Manfred founded the Lottenlund Estate winery near the Hamlet city of Helsingborg. Today, they cultivate 10.5 hectares—exclusively Piwi varieties, 60 per cent of which are white. The soil is very dry and has to be further prepared, as fodder crops used to be grown on it. They also use algae for plant protection. "They act like a vaccination for the vines, boosting their defences." Tina says of Solaris: "It doesn't produce the highest quality, but it's the only one with a reliable yield." Her assessment of the future: "Swedes hardly know anything about wine and viticulture. We have the chance to shape its image and introduce people to it. We don't have to take history and traditions into account."

"Made in Sweden" is important to people. Felix Åhrberg explains the apparent contradiction between the restrictive alcohol policy and the official promotion of wine tourism: "Every form of agriculture is supported. The added value should remain in the regions. Buying locally is sustainable". Being able to visit vineyards and wineries in your own country arouses curiosity. The winegrowers will know how to capitalise on it.