[We are pleased to publish the first article by a new contributor, Kim Nightingale. Having traveled the world, she now calls Denmark home. Hopefully she will help us find Bacchus in the land of Odin – Ed.]
Copenhagen, Denmark – Despite the Nordic location, Denmark has been producing wines of its own for some time. Watch this space in future for a comprehensive guide on the most delectable tastes of Viking blood to fill the wine rack with. At this juncture, in light of the Vini di Italia 2010 wine tasting event held recently at the Tivoli amusement park, four well-stocked wine shops in the city are highlighted. Pour with pleasure; however, there is no advice on how to avoid a red wine headache or as I like to call it, the Grapes of Wrath.
Niche Vine
Valdemarsgade 75, 1665 København V – Ph. 44 95 04 07 – www.nichevine.dk
(Mon – Fri 09:00-18:30); Thurs – Fri 14:00-18:30, Sat 11:00-15:00
Owner Herluf Trolle of Niche Vin
Owner, Herluf Trolle has a deep love for wine. A well-established supplier to gourmet and casual restaurants in Copenhagen, the fundamental product range includes wines from the classic European regions such as France, Italy and Spain. However, always on the lookout for wine with ‘great personality,’ he continues to add more biodynamic and organic wine with ‘unique qualitative elements’ to the selection. As the culinary taste in Denmark continues to develop, so does the opportunity for new tantalizing wine. Currently catering mainly to Scandinavia, the website is only in Danish. If this prevents you from an inquiry, Herluf speaks English just fine, and will be able to help you over the phone or at Niche Vine. From 14:00-18:30 on the first Friday of every month, a wine tasting session is held in shop. Try his wife Katrine’s favorite, Sesti Rosso di Montalcino, it is divine!
Skjold Burne
Store Kongensgade 89, 1264 CPH K – Ph. 33 15 38 10 – www.skjold-burne.dk
It takes a good grape to produce a good wine and there are a lot of good grapes in one of the oldest wine shops in Copenhagen. On May 01st, 1928, Will Skjold Burne opened his first wine shop on Stormgade. It continued to grow over the years and now carries one of the biggest selections of wine. They will package, decorate and deliver attractive wine gifts or arrange a wine tasting for a company party or other special event. The head office is in Brøndby, but there are shops all over Denmark. Check the website to find the shop nearest you.
Kjær & Sommerfeldt
Gammel Mønt 4, 1117 CPH K – Ph. 7015 6500 – www.kogs.dk
Mon-Thurs. 10:00-17:30, Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 11:00-17:00;
Back in 1925, the shelves were mainly stocked with Bordeaux. Today, they respectfully represent vintners from many regions and have earned the title of Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court. In addition to wine, they have champagne, grappa, port, and diverse dessert wines. If you understand Danish, online gift cards can be bought and the webshop makes it easy to place orders directly. Sign up for their newsletter and enter to win six bottles of red wine from Tommasi 2008.
Juul’s Vin & Spiritus
Værnedamsvej 15 1819 Frederiksberg C – Ph. 33 31 13 29 – www.juuls.dk
Mon-Thurs 09:00-17:30, Fri 09:00-19:00, Sat 09:00-14:00
A welcoming shop with a huge range of both wine and spirits that includes an impressive amount of organically produced bottles. There is always a bottle open to taste from and a continuous flow of new products. The wine stock is endless, but just as inspiring is the choice of almost 700 single malt whiskies.
Nyhavn photo © Ra-smit.
Kim Nightingale has lived in North America, the UK, Denmark, Japan and Australia. A great lover of travel, she has tasted her way through the coffees of Madras, homemade wines of Nepal, and the flavorful teas in Hong Kong. As a Journalist for the Copenhagen Post’s Entertainment section, she is always on the lookout for a strong brew, a stiff schnapps or a chill out place to drink her chilled whites.