Swedish winemakers benefit from rising temperatures. They aim for a prominent place in the global producers list
Global warming has positive effects, at least for Swedish winemakers. Until recently, the Scandinavian country had nothing to boast about in terms of wines.
However, the increasing temperatures are changing the situation, and local viticulturists are making plans for the future. With investments in modern equipment, they are already thinking about securing a more prominent position on the global wine producers' list.
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Sweden is by no means famous for its wine varieties, and its vineyards are still small compared to France, Italy or Spain. But the climate changes in recent decades have had beneficial effects in this region. The number of sunny days has increased, and producers have adapted new grape varieties to the Scandinavian climate.
Emma Berto, a viticulturist: "This is Solaris. It's the national grape variety here in Sweden. At the moment, our job is to clean the leaves from the lower part of the vine so that air can flow. This reduces the risk of diseases".
One vineyard produced around 5,000 bottles in 2022 from approximately 11 acres of vineyard. However, the goal of the producers is to reach 50-60 thousand bottles in the next five years.
Emma Berto, a viticulturist: "It's clear that we have fewer recurring problems. Hail is not an issue for us, and frost seldom impacts us because our vines don't start growing until the beginning of May, after the last frost days. So, it's a good thing".
In the last 30 years, temperatures in southern Sweden have risen by approximately 2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous period. This means that the grape-growing season has been extended by nearly 20 days.
Anna Mårtensson, a professor at the Swedish University of Agriculture: "A grape needs nearly 100 days, from flowering to ripening, at over 10 degrees Celsius. We didn't have that before, but now we have this timeframe. It is, of course, a major change. People are just beginning to realize that they can cultivate more than just cereals here".
Swedish wine producers are ambitious. They not only want to increase production, but also create a world-class product and establish businesses that can support an entire industry.
So, they are investing in new equipment and building ultra-modern wineries, even though it will take some time before they can compete with Italian or French vineyards.
