Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1044116
94 WINES&VINES November 2018 T wenty years ago, there were no grape and wine indus- tries in Sweden or Denmark, and grapes were not grown commercially in all 50 states in the U.S. However, grape breeders including Elmer Swenson in Wisconsin and Norbert Becker in Freiburg, Germany, were making progress in developing new varieties that could survive cold winters and ripen during short growing seasons. Commercial viticulture began in both Sweden and Denmark in 2000, and there are now wineries operating in all 50 states of the U.S. The first VitiNord conference, held in Riga, Latvia, in 2006, was organized to meet the need for more information about growing cold-tolerant grapes and making wine from them in the colder regions of North America and northern Europe. Subsequent conferences have taken place every three years, alternating between locations in northern Europe and in Canada or the United States. After this year's conference, which took place July 30 to Aug. 3 in Sweden and Denmark, the next conference in 2021 is tentatively scheduled to be in Nova Scotia. Because Malmö, Sweden, is now connected to Copenhagen, Denmark, by a bridge across the Øresund Strait of the Baltic Sea, the first two and a half days of the conference took place in Sweden. Sessions on July 31 were held at the Swedish University of Agri- cultural Sciences in Alnarp, just north of Malmö. On the second The Northern Frontier of Wine and Grapegrowing Home to a burgeoning, cold-climate industry, Denmark and Sweden host VitiNord 2018 By Linda Jones McKee KEY POINTS VitiNord, a triennial conference on cool climate viticulture and winemaking, was held in Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen, Den- mark from July 30 to Aug. 3. Commercial viticulture has only been allowed in those countries since 2000. Sweden now has approxi- mately 50 commercial vineyards; Denmark has more than 100. Participants came from all over Europe, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Australia to listen to talks on all aspects of grow- ing and making wine in cool climates with short growing seasons. Two full days were devoted to visiting vineyards and wineries, first north of Malmö and then west of Copenhagen. Many of the vine- yards are organic, as many pesticides are not yet approved for use in those countries. Hybrid grapes that tolerate diseases and ripen in a shorter time frame are most frequently grown. The industry is looking at vines developed in Germany and elsewhere that are vinifera in origin but disease resistant. Rondo vines at veraison.