Swedish vineyards - 4 farms with Swedish wine

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Do Swedish vineyards exist? Yes, they do, and Swedish wine is on the rise on the international wine scene. We visited four different vineyards in southern Sweden. Here is a report on Swedish wines, and on visiting Swedish vineyards.

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Swedish vineyards

Swedish vineyards may not have a long history, but Sweden has actually been an official wine country since 1999. Initially, production was relatively modest, but now we can almost talk about a boom. Systembolaget's sales of Swedish wine increased by 225 per cent between 2015 and 2019.

Wine from Swedish vineyards

When we talk about Swedish wine, we mean wine made from grapes grown in Sweden. Because of the relatively cool climate in Sweden, it is easiest to produce white wine and the grape that has become the most popular is solaris, although other grapes are also used.

In addition to white wine, the production of sparkling wine is increasing, and here too the use of solaris is common. In the case of red wine, which is produced to a lesser extent, and rosé wine, the rondo grape, among others, is used.

Visit to four Swedish wineries

During our last hubsil trip, we visited four Swedish vineyards that produce their own Swedish wine, three in Skåne and one in Halland. At all these wineries you can book a wine tasting of local Swedish wines and some also offer, for example, guided tours, restaurants, hotels, glamping or spas. Here are our experiences from four unplanned visits.

1. Kullaberg vineyard

Kullabergs vingård is located on the Kulla peninsula in western Skåne, just over seven kilometres north of Höganäs. This is a charming Swedish vineyard with quality wines and a lovely wine bar as well as the possibility of both guided tours and wine tasting.

Kullaberg's vineyard was the first Swedish vineyard we visited and it also became one of the absolute favourites, because of the combination of fantastic wines, nice treatment and a lovely environment to enjoy the wines in.

Here we learned that the southern Swedish environment, at least here on the west side, is actually really favourable for producing wine, as long as you choose the right grapes. At Kullaberg's vineyard, they invest heavily and the wines are sold both in star restaurants and exported to countries such as Japan. They have also received several prestigious awards.

In the cosy little wine bar "Skänken", located in what looks like a greenhouse, you can both eat and taste wines. We especially liked the fact that you can order so-called "flights", i.e. tasting three wines of 4 cl together with bread and oil.

There are a few different price options, depending on which wines you choose, but all in all it means you can try several varieties for a reasonable price. When one person drives a car and can only sip very carefully, it's also perfect to be able to order small quantities.

We tried a classic flight with the wines Lyckeri, Skäret and Askesäng. We also tried the flagship Immelen. We were very fond of the wines here, and the absolute favourite was the white wine Askesäng. If it had been possible, we would have gladly bought a bottle with us. Now we have to keep our eyes open for when Kullaberg's wines are available on Systemet, which they have done from time to time.

2nd Arild's vineyard

Arilds vingård is located on the Kulla peninsula in western Skåne, just over 12 kilometres north of Höganäs and not far from Kullaberg vineyard. This is a very nice Swedish vineyard where you will also find a hotel, restaurant and a really delicious glamping.

We strolled around the area and Arild's vineyard really offers a cosy environment with vines in long rows and a large area with nice glamping tents. We would definitely consider staying here for a night or more!

At Arild's vineyard we tried four different Swedish wines: Solaris, Solaris Muscaris, Solaris Barrique and Pinot Noir. We mostly liked the Solaris Barrique, which is aged in oak barrels, and the red wine. Even I (Helena) who normally doesn't drink red wine liked this rather light red wine.

At this winery we also received a very nice welcome, and we appreciated the lovely environment. If you don't see so many people outside in the photos, it's because it was a bit chilly this day - most people were sitting indoors in the restaurant. We can highly recommend a visit here and you can also find some of the wines at Systembolaget, either in store or on order.

3. Vejby vineyard

Vejby vineyard is located at Vejbystrand on the Bjäre Peninsula in Skåne, just over 12 kilometres north-west of Ängelholm. The visit here was our shortest. We had difficulty entering with the motorhome on the narrow driveway and when we arrived it turned out that you could not buy half glass or tasting / flight.

At Vejby vineyard you can only buy whole glasses for 200 SEK/piece. This did not suit us very well, as one of us was driving a car and as we had wanted to try some of more than one variety, so unfortunately there was no tasting here.

4. Ästad vineyard

Ästad vineyard is located in the middle of the beautiful nature reserve Åkulla Bokskogar, in Varberg municipality in Halland. This is a vineyard that you might primarily visit for the overall experience. Ästad is not only a Swedish vineyard but also a hotel, spa and conference centre in a fantastically beautiful environment.

We were allowed to look around the premises, and this looks like a fantastic environment for conferences, meetings and various events. The environment is super modern, while nature feels constantly present.

At Ästad vineyard there are three different restaurants and it is also possible to book a wine tasting. However, just stopping by and tasting a few wines did not work. From what we understood, the production is relatively limited and is kept for booked wine tastings and the like.

The small houses in the area, which are almost entirely surrounded by greenery, are incredibly charming.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the spa is its fairytale-like setting. We imagine it's a great place to come for a wine and spa weekend.

More Swedish wineries?

Are there more Swedish wineries producing Swedish wine? Yes, there are actually quite a few. Here are some more that seem interesting to visit:

• Blaxsta vineyard, Södermanland
• Flädie mat & vingård, Skåne
• Frillestad vineyard, Skåne
• Gute vineyard, Gotland
• Rygga vineyard, Halland
• Skepparps vineyard, Skåne
• Särtshöga vineyard, Östergötland

Have you visited Swedish vineyards?

Have you visited any Swedish vineyards, or drank any Swedish wine? Tell us about your experiences!

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