Winegrowing in Denmark

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Winegrowing in Denmark
Conference on northern viticulture Riga
November 2006
Winegrower, winemaker and adviser Peter
Lorenzen Bullerupvej 13 DK-5240 Odense NØ
Denmark   Tel. [phone] Mob. 45 40 31
95 07 E-mail lorenzen-vin_at_mail.dk Web
www.lorenzen-vin.dk
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Presentation

• 2006 Freelance adviser in winegrowing and
  winemaking
• 2005 Adviser in winegrowing at the FGR one
  year project(Association of commercial fruit-
  and vegetable growers)
• 2005 Winegrower and winemaker at Skærsøgaard
  Vin(3 hectares of vines) ?
• 1993 Founder of - and chairman in - the FDV
  (The Association of Danish Winegrowers)
• 1990 Hobby vineyard at Søhus (250 vines / 500
  m2)
• 1982 Teacher at the horticultural school Søhus
  in Odense
• 1981 Consultant in DE (Danish Commercial Fruit
  growing Organisation)
• 1980 Horticultural engineer from KVL - Copenhagen

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Subjects

• FDV The Association of Danish Winegrowers
• Climatic and soil conditions for winegrowing in
  Denmark
• Trellis / espalier systems in Denmark
• Grape varieties and rootstocks
• Pests, diseases and physiological illnesses
• Commercial winegrowing in Denmark
• Legislation for growing and making wines in DK
• Sale / economy
• Questions / discussion

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FDVAssociation of Danish Winegrowers
Founded in 1993 with 35 members Today around 1100
members (incl. Sweden and Norway) The major part
(around 97 ) are hobby growers Almost all the
grapes are grown in open air for
winemaking Publishing of the magazine
Vinpressen (The Wine Press) Harvest report /
data Annual wine show (competition) ? Website
www.vinavl.dk
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Climatical conditions(Vinifera)

• High heat summation (at least 1000 degree days
  with a base of 10oC)
• Sunlight (growth, sugar production, acid
  reduction)
• Good lee conditions
• No rain during flowering (June/July) and ripening
  (September/October)
• Long period with no frost, preferable 150 -180
  days or more (areas near the coast)
• Avoid areas with night frost in the spring
  (frost holes)

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Degree days in Denmark

• Average 1999 2004 on a base of 10oC

Source Birgit Sørensen. DJF Foulum.
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Southern slope with lee, Thy
Foto Hanne Lindhard. DJF Årslev
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Southern slope, North Zeeland
Foto Peter Lorenzen
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Average rainfall in the growing season (1/5
30/9) (A. Pedersen 1960)
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Average date for the last date with frost in the
spring. (Vittrup Christensen et. al. 1987)
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Soil conditions

• Ordinary Danish agricultural soil is OK (avoid
  too sandy and too clayish soils)
• pH app. 6,5 (certain hybrids a little lower 5,5
  6)
• Deep, well drained soil (deep ploughing /
  grubning)

Fotos Smart og Robinson 1991
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Soil conditions
Warm soil Advantage A long growing season
(takes advantage of the bright light in the
beginning of the season).Disadvantage Early
budburst increases the risk of damages by night
frost. Fertile soil Often a disadvantage because
of vegetative growth (little crop) and bad
ripening of wood and buds (damage by winter
frost). For the same reason Dont apply too
much N (ca. 50 kg/ha)
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Trellis / espalier
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Common trellis system in DK
Guyot
Single
Double
Drawings Vinavl i Danmark Gensbøl og Gundersen
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Common trellis systems in DK
Permanent cordons
Drawings The Production of Grapes and Wine in
Cool Climates (Jackson and Schuster 1994)
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Other trellis systems in DK
The High Sylvoz
Drawings The Production of Grapes and Wine in
Cool Climates (Jackson and Schuster 1994)
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End poles
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Supporting wires
Open
Closed
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Grape varieties

• Vinifera (traditional, European varieties)
• Often very susceptible to mildew (Oideum) and
  downy/false mildew (Peronospora)
• Often difficult to grow (sensitive to climatic
  conditions)
• Not so winter hardy (minus 10-15 oC or maybe a
  little more)
• Makes good wine
• Hybrids (1st generation crossings between V.
  vinifera and North American and Asian vines
  especially V. riparia, V. rupestris and V.
  amurensis)
• Often more resistant to mildew and downy/false
  mildew
• Often easier to grow (more vitality)
• More winter hardy
• Not permitted in the EU for making quality wine
• Interspecific varieties (back crossings to V.
  vinifera)
• Attempt to combine all the good qualities from
  both Vinifera and hybrids (some of these
  interspecific varieties are permitted in the EU)

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The most grown varieties in Denmark

• Vinifera
• Madeleine Angevine (W)
• Ortega (W)
• Siegerrebe (W)
• Hybrids
• Leon Millot (R)
• Marechal Foch (R)
• Interspecific varieties
• Rondo (R)
• Regent (R)
• Orion (W)
• Perle of Zalas (W)

W White R Red
Orion

• Interesting new varieties
• Solaris (W)
• Acolon (R)
• Bolero (R)
• Reberger (R)
• Cabernet Cortis (R)

Approved varieties in Denmark
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Rootstocks

• Primarily to avoid attacks from the root aphid
  (Phylloxera)
• It also affects the growing conditions of the
  vines Budburst, earliness, ripening of the wood
  etc.
• There is a great need in Denmark for trials in
  growing different rootstocks in different soils
  (and on different varieties)
• Common rootstocks in Denmark are
• SO4
• Börner
• 125AA
• 5BB

Interesting new rootstocks
Approved rootstocks in Denmark
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Pests and diseases

• Fungal diseases
• Mildew (Oideum)
• Downy or false Mildew (Peronospora)
• Grey Mould ?
• Pests
• Phylloxera (grafting)
• Deer (fencing)
• Hares (plant tubes) ?
• Water vole
• Birds (netting) ?
• Wasps (traps) ?
• Snails

• Other damages
• Rot (grey rot)
• Hens and chickens ?
• Stem necrosis ?
• Frost damages (bud necrosis) ?
• Lack of nutrition (especially magnesium) ?
• Draught damages ?
• Spraying damages ?
• Hail ?
• Cracks in the berries ?
• Night frost in the spring ?

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Commercial winegrowing in DK

• Approved by the EU in August 2000
• Today around 25-30 registered, Danish winegrowers
• Area Around 15-20 ha (permission to plant 99 ha
  like Sweden and Ireland)
• 8 Danish winegrowers had wine for sale in 2004
  (app. 5000 litres in all).
• In 2005 10 -12 winegrowers are expected to
  produce around15.000 litres of wine in all.
• 2006 is going to beat all records.
• Read more (in Danish) at http//www.vinavl.dk/

• In Sweden I know of three commercial winegrowers
• Read more (in Swedish) www.svenskavinodlare.se
• As far as I know, Norway has no commercial
  vineyards (any more)? ?

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Legislation
Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May
1999 - on the common organisation of the market
in wine ? Danish rules ?

• Three categories of wine
• Table wine (Vin de table, Tafelwein, Vino da
  Tavola etc.)
• Table wine with geographical indication (Vin de
  pays, Landwein, Indicazione geografica tipica,
  Regional wine etc.)
• Quality wine (AOC, QmBA, DOC etc.)

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Vintage

• Data from the Danish vintage reports
• Up to app. 1 kg/m2 in good years
• Corresponding to 10 tons pr. ha app. 4000
  litres of wine (around 5000 bottles)
• Rule of thumb under Danish conditions
• One to two bottles of wine pr. vine
• Corresponding to 3.000 to 6.000 bottles pr. ha in
  good years
• In the year 2004 only 5 10 yield !!

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Sale

• Prices on Danish wines at the moment 25 80 US
  pr. bottle.
• Munch Wine (Norway) App. 1300 US for five
  bottles ?

• Restaurants and hotels
• Wine dealers and whole sellers
• Export (Sales messes in Paris)
• Danish embassies abroad
• Wine collectors from the whole world
• Web auctions
• Back door sale / farm boutiques / tourism ?
• Wine clubs
• Various arrangements at the vineyard

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Alternative sources of income

• Wine tastings, lectures, tours in the vineyard
  etc.
• Subsidies from the Danish authorities
• Import and sale of wines from other countries
• Gastronomic arrangements and events
• Combinations with other production (meat,
  cheese, snails etc.)
• Import and sale of vines, equipment for growing
  vines and making wine.
• Production of fruit wines (apples, cherries,
  black current ), cider and mjoed
• Production of spirits (Brandy, Cognac, Marc
  etc.)

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Skærsøgaard efterår 2004
Thank you !