A visit to Vejrhøj Vingård

Photo: Kenny Jess Brandt

In the heart of Fårevejle, Sjælland, Niels and Nina Fink have transformed 2.5 hectares into an organic-certified vineyard producing 20,000 bottles annually. Since their first vintage in 2014, Vejrhøj Vingård has become a testament to Danish winemaking’s growth, blending passion, creativity, and respect for Nordic terroir.

This article is part of a mini-serie focusing on Nordic wine and our Regional Danish & Swedish Wine Tasting. The event featured wines from Vejrhøj Vingård, By Stokkebye, Vingården i Klagshamn, Guldbæk Vingård, and Fruktstereo

The sun is shining from a clear, blue sky, we are in the beginning of august and my family and I are enjoying the last bit of our vacation in our summerhouse at Sjællands Odde, where we since 2012 also have had a small vineyard. Maybe that is why I the last 10-15 years have been fascinated by Danish winegrowing and with great interest have followed he development in Denmark from a well-meaning hobby wine country to what we today with full respect can call a serious wine producing country in Europe.  

This change, however, hasn’t come without hard work and a lot of investment in time, equipment and learning as well as outside help. As so many new wine countries we are standing on the shoulders of more traditional and experienced nations, and in our case, Germany has been the great catalyst for the progress under our beautiful, Danish skies. Not only in form of the cultivation of new sorts that fit our climate, but also more specifically in one person, that has done more for Danish winegrowing than any other individual from abroad. The name is Jens Heinemeyer; winegrower, oenologist, consultant and the owner of Solveigs in Rheingau. There are no serious Danish wine producer, that has started making wine in the years from 2005 to 2020, that in some way hasn’t been assisted by Jens. It is as simple as that.  

Therefore, it isn’t any coincidence that we see his name, when my wife and I has been invited to Vejrhøj Vingård to taste their new vintages. When we arrive to their very idyllic country house in beautiful Fårevejle, Niels is standing in the cellar putting labels on Styver 2023. “I just had a short break” he says and smiles at us, before he leaves the machine and goes up to greet us. 

Photo: Kenny Jess Brandt

First generation  

We are given a short tour in the winery, where I notice Jens’ name as sender of a pallet of empty bottles, which is a clear indication that the versatile wine consultant has helped the Danish producers with more than just given tips to the production. After a tour in their beautiful vineyard, that are located just opposite the family house and winery – and where we meet Niels’ wife and wine partner Nina – we enter the tasting room, where Niels puts four of his wines on the table. While he pours Klipping Rosé 2023 in the glasses, we are having a small talk about their production and Danish wine in general. Amongst other things, we are told that most of their wines are spontaneously fermented, that 60% of the sales are directly from the winery and that their two children, Katja and Adam, helps a lot during the year, but not yet are ready to take over the business even though both Niels and Nina has reached an age where it would be normal for retirement.  

This gives rise to a big question in relation to the future of Danish winegrowing, as it in no way is a natural thing that the first generation of Danish winemakers – which as this moment are the ones with dirt on the hands – are followed by their children as the tradition has been around the wine producing countries for centuries. We are still too young a wine country to have created a tradition that makes it natural for the next generation of the family to continue the inheritance that has just begun. It is not in our genes yet, so to say. But if this doesn’t happen, what is to become of the great knowledge, know-how and experience for as young a wine country as Denmark? We can only hope that more sons and daughters takes over after their pioneering parents and chooses to continue the inheritance that the last 15 years has shown itself to be so promising, especially in the production of dry white wine made from Solaris.   

Well, back to the wines. The fresh, fruity and very pleasant rosé are followed up by one of their flagships, Styver 2023, which precisely is made from Solaris grapes and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Unlike the other vintages, 2023 is more fat, greasy and full bodied than its predecessors fresh and linear style, but is still bears the mark of the pronounced and significant fruit and – when it is made well like here – beautiful depth of Solaris. Their other flagship is the older brother Sterling in vintage 2022 that has been made from the same grapes as Styver but matured in a mix of new and used barriques for nine months. And the first we smell is also the fantastic, dry and woody aroma of new oak. A bit of Burgundy sneaks into the Domaine in Fårevejle, wonderful. The liquid is a bit oily with good acidity, lots of fruit and a beautiful finish. Through and through a well-made, lovely glass.   

Photo: Kenny Jess Brandt

Last wine is Drilling 2022 made from the less known grape Hibernal with 9% alcohol and 25 grams of residual sugar. Niels compares is with a German kabinett, but it is in no way as sweet as expected. Very high acidity, light sweetness, good fruit and a pleasant and subdued liquid. Fun to taste a sweet wine in this way. 

At my request we finish off with Gylden 2022, which is Niels and Nina’s orange wine made from Solaris and Souvignier Gris with six weeks maceration and nine months in oak. The liquid is light and dry with moderate notes of orange peel and other tertiary aromas.      

During the tasting we have been interrupted several times by locals that has come to buy some bottles, which gives my wife and I the possibility to enjoy the beautiful view of Sejerøbugten and talk a bit about the wines. And once again we have been confirmed that Danish wine producers has become impressively good at making dry white wine from Solaris; wines, that can match other European wines and that slowly are creating a good reputation outside the safe boundaries of our country.   

We thank Niels for the visit and embarks out into the Danish summer with the hope, that even more people in the future will follow in the footsteps of Niels and Nina, so we can continue the good development Danish wine in these days are experiencing. And in the end, a great invitation from us to you; if Danish wine still haven’t reached your glass, don’t hesitate to try it; you won’t be disappointed.