Danish wine: a study on this small but fast-growing cool climate wine scene

This was a seminar at the 2025 Cool Climate Wine Summit in Copenhagen, led by René Langdahl and Torben Toldam Andersen. After discovering Swedish wines in September, I was keen to see what the young wine scene in Denmark is offering.

In 2000 Denmark was recognized in the EU as a wine-producing country, and after a slow start, it has begun to grow rapidly. Over 90% of the vineyard area is farmed organically, which is also linked to the widespread use of resistant varieties.

It is still small. 2022 data identified 125 producers, most small ones. Disease-resistant early-ripening Solaris emerged on the market as a grape variety in 2004, and this has become very important, and it’s by far the main-grown grape variety. There’s quite a range of varieties grown, and when it comes to vinifera, Fruhburgunder is popular but it’s tricky to get good crops here. Altogether there are around 175 hectares under vine, says René Langdahl, so it is still a tiny production. But it has doubled over the last few years.

Almost half the commercial wines are based on Solaris today. Initially, many of the Danish producers focused on red wine, because Danes drink more red wine than white, but this has shifted and now white and sparkling are very important (20% of production is sparkling ).

Zealand is the main producing area. As a young wine region, people have tended to plant where they live, but now there’s clustering where there’s some identification of the best areas. Soils vary but are mainly sandy, but some are clay-rich. Some of the soils are quite vigorous, and many of the resistant varieties can be quite vigorous, too.

Many of the vineyards are dotted around the coast of the islands. The proximity to water lessens the spring frost risk. Going inland, this is much more of a challenge. The inland areas also get hotter in the summer and the ripening period.

René Langdahl emphasizes how much progress has been made in a short time. ‘The shift from red wine to white wine and sparkling wine has resulted in a huge shift in quality’ he says.  says Rene Langdahl. Initially he says the wines were sketchy, then they got all technical, and now there are quite a few people beginning to loosen up and make more natural styles.

Skaersøgaard Vineyard Dons Cuvée Brut 2019 Denmark
Sven was a pioneering producer: the first serious wine producer in Denmark. This is a blend of four varieties including Solaris, and it’s traditional method with 33 months on lees. Dosage is 5 g/litre. Very fruity, bright and aromatic with juicy pear, peach and apricot notes, a touch of table grape, and also nice acidity. Really full and fruity with keen acidity supporting the pure fruit, and just a hint of toast and bread. Very expressive and enjoyable, with a big, bold fruit profile. 90/100

By Stokkebye Stellar Mary 2021 Denmark
First planted in 2009, and they made their first wine in 2012. Traditional method of Pinot Noir, aged in barrel and stainless steel, then 25 months on lees, no dosage. 4500 bottles made. Soil is rich in chalk (3 m down) and minerals. 1 km from the coast. This is bold and taut with lovely cherry and citrus fruit, as well as a touch of orange peel. This is really taut and focused with real intensity to the fruit and good acidity. There’s a touch of toasty character here. Really convincing with depth and focus, finishing with a touch of sour cherry. 92/100

Barfod CC Pet Nat Rosé 2022 Denmark
Sandy sandstone soils, 1 km from the sea on each side. A sunny area. They grow PIWI varieties such as Cabernet Cantor, Souvignier Gris and Solaris. They started organic and then started farming biodynamically. First vintage was 2017, a small batch. They now make natural wines. This is Cabernet Cantor, no added sulfites, no filtration, but they had to disgorge it because of tartrate deposition. Bright pink in colour, this shows lovely bright, rich, fresh red cherry and wild strawberry fruit with nice acidity. Lovely fruit here, and amazing purity and focus. There’s a bit of structure, too. Juicy and linear, and full of joy. Dry style. 91/100

Ømberg Paulus Solaris 2022 Denmark
100% Solaris, wild fermented in barrique with 25% new oak. Ripe grapes, harvested late. Full flavoured and rich with some melon and table grape fruit, a bold texture, and breadth of flavour. The oak meshes in well with the bold fruit, adding even more richness. Nice richness and depth with broad fruit, finishing with a bit of spice and a touch of acidity (but not so much). 90/100

Gilleleje Orange Solaris 2023 Denmark
North coast of Zealand. This is the second vintage of this wine. Solaris has a reputation of making bitter wines when you ferment on the skins. This has 3 weeks on skins, then it is pressed to stainless steel. This is bold and structured with nice tannins giving some grip to the palate, with nice punch pear and melon fruit, with a touch of citrus, and then grippy tannins. There’s nice complexity here with beautiful fruit expression. Lovely stuff. 92/100

Lindely Vineyard Frosklar Isv..In Solaris 2023 Denmark
This is from Jutland. The winery was established in 2006, then sold to current owners in 2020. A sweet wine that’s made in a special way: the grapes were picked then frozen for the first wine, but now they harvest mature grapes, get the must, and freeze the must, and this concentrates the sweetness and acidity. Sweet and grapey with some acidity emerging on the finish. Some softness on the mid-palate. Initially a bit simple, but the flavours emerge after a while. 88/100

Hideaway Vingård Sommergås 2021 Denmark
From the island of Fejø. You need a boat to get to the vineyard, which is 1.5 hectares. Organic farming, and a lot of handwork. A blend of four hybrids: Rondo and Cabernet Cortis and a couple of others. Wild ferment, semi-carbonic maceration, 50% whole cluster, then ageing in old barrels. This is quite beautiful with red cherries and plums with a touch of raspberry. So expressive with pure, fresh fruit and good concentration. This has a twist of sour cherry on the finish and some structure, but also lots of elegance and good acidity. 94/100

Kelleris Rondo Utopia 2008 Denmark
On the coast north of Copenhagen. Dense and quite classic, showing some development with a minty edge to the fresh blackcurrant and cherry fruit, with some savouriness and grip in the background. It has aged really well: it’s a little stern but it has nice fruit, finishing fresh, with some oak in the mix. Quite a surprise. 89/100

Guldbaek Vin Cab Noir 2021 Denmark
57 N latitude, in northern Jutland. This is Caberet Noir. This venture was started in 2007, and it comes from a hilly landscape which is rare in Denmark. Glacial deposits over chalk. Slightly faded red colour. Sweet and sour cherry and strawberry aromatics, with a hint of mint. The palate is quite elegant with some savoury, subtly herbal spicy notes supporting the sweet strawberry fruit. It’s supple, light, but there’s some savoury framing. It’s a bit different, but it’s really nice. 90/100