Wine made from Finnish Cabernet Sauvignon grapes will soon mature in Fiskars oak barrels.
In the future, Cabernet Sauvignon will be made from Finnish grapes. Annika Haapman
Cabernet sauvignon made from domestic grapes will soon be produced in Finland. Fresh from the winery Herman and Annika Haapman have just harvested their first Cabernet Sauvignon crop.
Haapmani’s winery Chateau Nagu is located in Nauvo, as its name suggests. The couple bought the farm last year, so the company is quite new. The purpose is to establish an art center on the farm next summer.
According to Herman Haapman, the company’s goal is to produce Finland’s first high-quality wines made from noble varieties. The goal is now one step closer to being realized, when the first small crop of Cabernet Sauvignon has been collected and delivered to Fiskars Noita Winery, where the grapes will be made into wine, according to Haapman.
Oak barrel maturation will last 20 months, so the finished product will still have to wait.
– Sweden has been a wine country since the 90s, but they haven’t managed to make any cabernet yet. So this is historic, Haapman rejoices.
The Haapmans grow vines in greenhouses, which makes it possible to get enough sugar content in the grapes. The largest of the greenhouses is 1,600 square meters.
Haapman estimates that the first harvest yields about a hundred bottles of wine.
– More in the future, because in the first year we removed most of the grapes so that the root system can grow and develop. Next year maybe 500–1000 bottles will be produced.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, the greenhouses also grow Riesling, Pinot Noir and Merlot.
Special features in Finnish conditions
Simon McCabewho is familiar with making wine under Finnish conditions, has consulted Chateau Nagua regarding the products.
– We have a short summer here in Finland, which usually ends quickly at the end of August. We also have very long days throughout the summer and cold autumn evenings. This has a big impact on the flavor profile of the grapes, says McCabe.
According to him, the low sugar content is not a problem for grapes from Nauvo, because they are grown in greenhouses.
– I have been very impressed by the intense flavor profile of Haapmanie’s Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. We have only just started the fermentation processes, but everything looks very promising.
Simon McCabe and Herman Haapman at the Knife Factory in Fiskars. Annika Haapman
McCabe knows what he’s talking about, having made Noita Winery’s wines for six years. Viinimö calls itself an urban winery, which means that the grapes for winemaking are brought to Fiskars from elsewhere, and Noita Winery does not own the plantations itself.
Urban wineries have grown in popularity around the world in recent years, and you can find them in London, Paris and Amsterdam. The concept enables the production of wine also in more northern conditions, where growing grapes is not as easy as in the south.
– Noita Winery’s ideology is to make wines by hand as organically as possible and without added yeast. Most wines do not contain sulfites at all. The wines are also not filtered, McCabe says.
Noita Winery produces both red, white and rosé wines. Viinimö’s hope is that in the future wines will be made entirely from Finnish grapes. Currently, Finnish production is still small.
– Noita Winery supports Finnish wine growers. If Finland is classified as a wine-producing country in the European Union in the next few years, it is important that the first impression on the world is that unique, exciting and high-quality wines are produced in Finland.
THE FACTS
Noita Winery operates in Fiskars at the Veitsitehta, which also houses the Ägräs Distillery and the Fiskars brewery. A significant part of the Suomenlinna brewery’s products are also produced at Veitsitehta.
Until 2001, the Fiskars knife factory operated in the building.
The knife factory was renovated last year. In addition to the brewery, distillery and winery, the premises also have a bar and a boutique.