Scandinavian wine could be the next big thing as unpredictable weather hits southern Europe.Scandinavia isn't exactly what connoisseurs would define as prime wine country. But with climate change making for warmer and longer growing seasons, and new varieties of grapes adapted to this landscape, Swedish winemaking is gaining steam.
As drought, rising heat and other extreme weather events are forcing traditional wine-growing regions to reassess their methods, Swedish winemaking is shifting from mostly small-scale amateurs to an industry with growing ambition.
Kullabergs Vingård is a vineyard and winery at the vanguard of producers seeking to redefine what Swedish wine can be.
https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/21/swedish-wine-how-global-warming-is-shifting-europes-vineyards-northwardsIn recent years, grapevines have been planted farther and farther north, with commercial vineyards appearing in Norway and Denmark and others, including in the American West, expanding into cooler zones. The United Kingdom, famous for its ales and bitter beers, expects the area under vines to double in the next 10 years fuelled by demand for its sparkling wines.
“This is the new frontier of winemaking and grapes grow best on their coolest frontier,” Felix says as he walks through Kullabergs Vingård’s newly built winery.
Temperatures in southern Sweden have increased by about 2 degrees Celsius over the past 30 years compared to the 30 years before that, according to data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. And the growing season has lengthened by about 20 days.
