Photo Credit: Charlotte de la Fuente for The New York Times
With their notoriously cool climates, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have never been thought of as contenders for winemaking—until now. With the warming weather in these countries, entrepreneur winemakers are keying in on the potential for a new Scandinavian wine industry. The main goal of these vintners is to develop a thriving white wine market in the region, with hopes of tapping into the growing popularity of white wine along Europe’s northern rim.
In recent years, there has already been noticeable growth in the Scandinavian wine industry. For example, the number of vineyards in Denmark has exploded from two to 90 over the last 15 years. North of Denmark, Norway currently has 12 operating vineyards.
Although the growth of Scandinavia’s wine industry is evident, it is still in its infancy and is very small compared to major markets like Spain, France and Italy. The established European wineries have over 10 million acres of vineyard, whereas the EU has approved less than 1,000 acres total for Denmark and Sweden. Only time will tell if the efforts of the Scandinavian wine entrepreneurs will be successful.
Mobile app rewards fitness with wine
If you’d like to try a glass of Scandinavian wine but are holding back on account of your New Year’s fitness resolutions, this phone-based tool may be just the what you need: the Work4It app. This app tracks your workouts while helping you work toward a specific reward, such as a glass of wine, to give you an extra boost of motivation. While you’re exercising, the app will visually represent your wine glass filling up and will let you track how many glasses of wine you’ve earned based on the calories you’ve burned.
So before you let your New Year’s fitness resolutions stop you from tapping into the world of Scandinavian wine, consider whether you can make the two work together—and strive for balance by practicing the Scandinavian value of healthy living. Cheers!