Agger Vin: Making wine in Viking land

Many people associate Denmark with a lot of generally good things. Wine, however, is not usually one of them. Nevertheless, this summer, Solaris, a Danish white wine produced by Agger Wine, won first prize at Københavns Vinfestival 2019 (Copenhagen’s Wine Festival).

TEXT: SIGNE HANSEN | PHOTOS: AGGER VIN

In the countryside of southwest Funen, not far from Helnæs Bay, long lines of vines adorn the soft slopes of Ungersbjerge. It is far from southern France and Italy, but it is the site of Funen’s largest wine estate. Initiated by the 70-year-old Nicolai Agger eight years ago, the estate today comprises 4,000 wine stocks.

70-year-old Nicolai Agger owns Funen’s largest winery.

Last year, those wine stocks and the warm summer produced the white wine that, despite competition from a string of imported wines, won the first prize at Copenhagen’s wine festival. “Partly, I would say that things have just happened little by little, but I am a competitively minded person by nature,” admits Agger. “The most vital move I have made was bringing in a wine maker from New Zealand to help with the production. His experience with a similar climate and his expertise have meant that we have been able to create the acidic Sauvignon Blanc type of wine that a lot of people like – even when the weather is not ideal.”

Agger Wine is open for visitors every day (guided tours and tastings can be booked for groups of a minimum of eight people) and also has a parkgolf complex (parkgolf is a Japanese concept, a mix between regular golf and mini golf) and a wine café.

Web: www.agger-vin.dk

This year, Solaris, a white wine produced by Agger Wine, won first prize at Københavns Vinfestival.