The climate is changing, and thus which crops we will grow in the future.
On Visingsö, three entrepreneurs are making a long-term investment – in wine.
– We must think ahead.
They still don't look like much to the world. Small, in neat rows. Some reach up, higher than others. Soon they will survive their first winter on Visingsö.
– We are starting on a small scale, says Christina Lööv, looking out over the 750 plants that were planted in the ground this year.
For a trio of completely new wine growers, there is much to learn. Pruning, plant protection – and later on how the wine is produced. But going from plants to finished wine is several years away.
– This means we have plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with both the cultivation and the manufacturing process, says Helena Marklund, who is supported by her partner Jonas Björklund:
– To create a good product, you need to really dive deep into it.
Collaboration behind
Jonas and Helena run several businesses on Visingsö, with the farm at Bengtsgården and the restaurant Solbacken. There they serve their own meat, potatoes, rapeseed oil, and beer made from their own wheat. Here, KRAV is the standard – for the past 20 years. The reason it turned out this way was actually because Jonas thought the invoices for artificial fertilizers were high. He started to think about a new way of working. And that’s how it happened. But it didn’t come easily.
– Dad completely dismissed me, says Jonas, laughing as he reflects back.
The farmland near the vineyard has been leased for around 60 years. Christina, who is also an entrepreneur running Chokladverkstan in Tokarp outside Jönköping, also owns the land on which the vineyard stands. The idea for the vineyard came from her – but doing it together with her tenants has made the idea a reality.
– We have different competencies and complement each other. It’s an exciting collaboration that also provides security, she says.
They are also united in the sustainability mindset. In the chocolate workshop, it’s organic raw materials and fairly traded chocolate that are the focus. The vineyard adopts the same thinking.
– Our insects are dying and we are acidifying our lakes. There are many reasons why we need to think differently.
Can attract visitors
But why wine? And why now? One answer is simply the climate changes. They mean that farmers need to look for crops with longer roots. At the same time, wine producers in Europe are moving further north due to drought and rising temperatures. Sweden's future as a producer of quality wines looks bright – at least if you ask the association Svenskt vin.
The investment is also about the conditions for running smaller farms, and the need to have multiple legs to stand on.
– Our children have a great interest in agriculture, but on a small farm, you need to supplement with something more to be able to live off it, Helena notes.
The hope is to eventually serve their own Visingsö wine, while also developing a wine destination that attracts summer visitors.
– It can generate money for more people on the island. Everyone benefits from that.
There are no quick goals. It’s about experimenting and scaling up as time goes by. But there are plenty of ideas for the future. And of course, there are dreams.
– We want to put Visingsö on the wine map, says Christina.
Read more about Visingsö vineyard on the project page here!