vineyard was in Montmartre in Paris, but nowadays this has changed. Actually, there are probably some hobby wine farmers in South Norway, but Glenholm Vingård at Løgstør is most likely the world’s northernmost vineyard which is run as a totally commercial business.

The whole family is involved

It is indeed a commercial business, and it involves the whole family. It all began in 1988 when Britta and Hans Jørgen Madsen started the vineyard on a bare field. They had lived in South England for a number of years, and in 1993 they returned with 20 plants distributed on four different sorts. Only two of the sorts turned out to be suited for the climate in this part of the world, but year by year they planted up an ever larger area, and they also succeeded in finding other suitable variaties. Six years later, the first wine was produced in the form of a total of 60 bottles of red wine. In the meantime, the daughter Dorthe and the son-in-law Erling became involved in the business, and this also goes for the son Jesper. The vineyard now covers a total of 3½ hectares of land, and the production totalled 7000 bottles in 2010.

Ideal for wine making

In other words, it has turned out that this place on earth is extremely well suited for wine growing. Firstly, because of the location which is both close to and high above the fjord, thus providing a mild climate in the spring and very little frost in the autumn. At the same time, there are relatively many solar hours, and the many windbreaks create a magnificent micro climate, which is well suited for the grapes. Secondly, because of the soil: under the 30 cm of fat top soil there is an underground structure of porous yellow clay mixed with chalk, flint, sand and gravel. It is an ideal mixture, which has a positive influence on the flavour and aroma of the wines. It goes without saying that the wine production takes place without the use of chemicals, and according to the vineyard this results in wines of which “the smell and taste are both pure and crisp”.

Today, the Madsen family produces both red and white wine and a dessert wine – which have got Latin bird names. The name of the red wine and the white wine is “Buteo” (which means common buzzard), and the dessert wine has been named “Limosa” (which means large godwit).