How To Sip Wine at One of the Oldest Vineyards in Denmark

France, Italy, Spain…Denmark? When you think of Europe’s great wine-producing countries, Scandinavia rarely comes to mind, but Denmark has actually been producing wine since the early 1990s. The country, among the most northerly wine producers in the world, now has four different wine regions, including Jutland, Funen, Zealand, and the small island of Bornholm. It is Bornholm that is home to one of the oldest vineyards in the country. 

Located in the Baltic Sea, Bornholm is technically closer to Sweden at only 22 miles away but has been under Danish governance since the 17th century. While Copenhagen attracts visitors for its splendorous palaces, colorful apartment buildings, and The Little Mermaid statue inspired by the writings of Hans Christian Andersen, Bornholm’s appeal is its uninterrupted natural landscape—much of which can be seen by bike. 

There are nearly 150 miles of biking trails on the island, and the farthest distance from north to south is just 24 miles. You can cycle around the entire island in about 65 miles. 

We disembarked from the ferry in Rønne with our bikes at 6am, stocked up on pastries from the local bakeries, and cycled nine miles east toward the town of Aakirkeby. The hour-long ride was a straight route along the highway, with designated cycle lanes carved along the edges of the sprawling fields. We rode past shoulder-high wheat crops and patches of foxglove, only disrupted by small residential buildings and churches painted in crisp white to reflect the heat. 

After checking into our Airbnb, we hopped back on our bikes and headed south. A four-mile ride from Aakirkeby (about a 20-minute cycle) led us to Vingården Lille Gadegård, one of the oldest vineyards in Denmark. Of course, old is relative in a place that’s only been making wine for a few decades. 

Formerly a farm for animals, Vingården Lille Gadegård was converted into a strawberry farm in 1980. When Denmark began importing strawberries that lasted longer from other countries, owner Jesper Paulsen decided to pivot into winemaking without any prior knowledge. 

“He likes to do things nobody else does, just because nobody else is doing it,” explains Nanna Færge, who also works at the winery. 

The first wine produced at Vingården Lille Gadegård was a strawberry wine, but by 2000, when Denmark officially became a wine country, Vingården Lille Gadegård planted its first vines.

Set back from the road, we almost missed the exit that opens out into the family-run business. When we arrived, there were people sitting on benches, sipping glasses of wine in a myriad of delectable hues: frosted honey, dark berry, and punch-like strawberry. The winery has its own restaurant, which has a terraced roof with vines draped from the ceiling. During the summer, a buffet meal is on offer, featuring traditional Danish dishes such as oak-grilled pork loin, Provençal potatoes, red cabbage, and red wine sauce. A mainstage also supplies live evening entertainment. 

Paulsen talked us through the range of wines available for us to taste. The selection included white wines made from Solaris and Orion grapes and red wines made from Pinot Noir, Rondo, Bolero, Frühbourgunder, and Spätburgunder grapes. 

“My favorite this year is the Pinot Noir. Elegant and very potable," Paulsen said when I was there. 

“Bornholm has the best climate in Denmark,” says Færge. “We have an average of 30 more days of sunshine than the rest of the country, which enables us to grow a variety of grapes.” 

The vineyard also bottles sparkling fruit wines produced from strawberries, blackcurrants, currants, and gooseberries. Guests can sip a glass or two or order and enjoy a bottle, and Paulsen hosts tours around the vineyard in Danish and talks about “wine, women, and politics,” as the website light-heartedly explains. 

Bornholm is home to other wineries, including Graanakke in Balka, which is on the east coast of the island. In terms of size, it’s second only to Vingården Lille Gadegård, which now covers about 21 acres and produces 30,000 bottles of wine per year, making it Bornholm’s largest commercial winery. All wine is exclusively sold on the island and not exported to the rest of the country, making the wine tasting experience even more exclusive. 

Other Danish wineries focus on cultivating more robust grapes that can withstand the country’s weather, but Vingården Lille Gadegård chooses to grow a greater variety, meaning the winery offers a range of wines that can’t be found elsewhere on the island or in the country. 

As a seasoned farmer growing barley, Paulsen also turned his hand to malt whisky production in 2009, offering two variations and making Vingården Lille Gadegård the country’s first exporter of Danish whisky. 

As for me and my friend, we chose the sparkling solbær wine—blackcurrant in English—to accompany a scoop of homemade lemon sorbet. We had arrived mid-afternoon and stayed late enough to watch the sun set as we swirled our glasses, surrounded by cats, chickens, and peacocks, Copenhagen’s colorful apartment buildings eclipsed by the delicious shades of scrumptious wine that went down a little too smoothly. 

Getting there

• Most people will fly into Denmark via Copenhagen airport (CPH). Roundtrip flights to Bornholm (RNN) from Copenhagen (CPH) take 40 minutes and cost around $160 USD if booked in advance. A roundtrip train ticket from Copenhagen’s central station to Køge costs approximately $40 USD. The ferry from Køge to Rønne, Bornholm, takes 5.5 hours on average and starts at $29 USD for a roundtrip ticket.
• Average Going deal: $488 roundtrip 

How to do it 

• Best time to go: Head to Vingården Lille Gadegård during July–August, when the weather is the warmest (highs average in the upper 60s Fahrenheit), and the evening buffet is available every day. 
• Cost: Glasses of wine range from $4–$7 USD. A bottle of wine is $14–$29 USD, while a bottle of whisky costs $58–$866 USD (special edition bottles are pricier). Tours (in Danish) are $14 USD per person. Dining at the restaurant can be booked ahead of time via the company’s website. Adult dining costs $33 USD, and children aged 4–12 can dine for $17 USD. Children aged 0–3 dine for free. As the ice cream is homemade, the flavors are seasonal; prices range from around $3–5 USD depending on how many scoops you get. 
• Tips: Remember to bring a backpack or a large tote bag that will fit into your bike’s basket so you can transport a bottle of wine or whisky home with you.