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92 WINES&VINES November 2018 T he VitiNord 2018 Congress was held in Alnarp, Sweden (near Malmö), on the campus of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and on the campus of Copenhagen University in Denmark. During the five-day conference, 48 speakers presented on a wide range of topics of special interest to those engaged in grape growing and winemak- ing in cold climates. General themes included grape breeding and new varieties for cold cli- mates; climate change and its implications; unique viticultural practices; pest control; cold climate wine styles and products; fermentation strategies, yeast, bacteria and nutrients; wine analysis; sensory analysis; wine and food; wine business and tourism; and new technologies. A total of 129 delegates from approximately 15 countries were present, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, the U.K., South Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S. The conference included a reception that served several Swedish wines, a banquet at the Malmö Old Town Hall that focused on Scandinavian cuisine, an evening buffet at the Pometum (fruit variety collection) of University of Co- penhagen, and two full-day technical tours of Swedish and Danish vineyards and wineries. Swedish wineries visited were Flädie Mat och Vingård, Arilds Vingård and Kullabergs Vingård, all of which are north of Malmö, while those in Denmark – Dyrehøj Vingård, Ørnberg Vingård and Vejrhøj Vingård – were near the Baltic Sea west of Copenhagen. Varieties grown are mainly hybrids from German breeding pro- grams, with Solaris as the predominant white variety and Rondo as the main red grape. Some of the other white varieties under cultivation are Orion, Phönix and Souvigner Gris; reds include Bolero and Cabernet Cortis. Ørnberg also produces some Ortega and Siegerrebe, which are Vitis vinifera varieties, and has ex- perimental plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The main reason for growing hybrids is the fact that pesticide companies are unwilling to spend the funds to get pesticides registered in jurisdictions with small wine industries. Winter climates in Scandinavia are not severe (e.g., minimum winter temperatures in Copenhagen and Malmö are -1.4° and -1.7° C, respectively, with record minimums of -18.4° and -17.8° C.) Early-season vinifera varieties such as Bacchus, Ortega, Schonberger and Siegerrebe are there- fore possible with successful pest control. In addition to table wines, there are some excellent sparkling wines being produced, as well as late- harvest and appassimento wines and even sol- era-based products similar to dry sherries. Prices are high by North American stan- dards. A Solaris table wine I purchased was 195 DEK (Danish krone), which is equivalent to $40 Canadian or $30 U.S. That particular wine was probably the least expensive product sold by that winery. Cultural practices in Sweden and Denmark are similar to those in other parts of northern and central Europe. Most vines are spaced 1.2 to 1.5 meters apart in the rows, and rows are typically 2.5 meters apart. Most vineyards are vertically shoot-positioned and cane-pruned. Basal-leaf removal is commonly practiced, in some cases excessively applied, and cluster- thinning is normally done, also frequently to excess. Most vineyards have cover crops in row middles and use grape hoes for weed control under the vines. Pests of greatest concern are powdery and downy mildew. Climate change is most certainly having an effect on world horticulture in general. Denmark was not recognized as a wine-producing country until 2000. There are now modest-sized wine industries in all the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, in addition to Belgium, the Nether- lands and Poland. I see no reason why these industries will not expand, and once past a cer- tain threshold after which pesticides become available, it is likely that vinifera varieties will be widely planted rather than hybrids. Andrew G. Reynolds is professor of biological sciences/ viticulture at the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture In- stitute, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Thoughts on the Scandinavian Wine Industry By Andrew Reynolds The "gala banquet" featuring Swedish cuisine and local wines was held at the Old Town Hall in Malmö.