“The grape is the most noble
and challenging fruit one can grow.”
Allow me to introduce you to Dyrehøj Vingaard, a beautiful Danish vineyard, maker of the RÖS label of wines, and also the largest vineyard in Denmark, located in western Zealand (the island on which Copenhagen is located), on the Roesnaes peninsula, near Kalundborg, where some of our Danish family lives. Dyrehøj Vingaard, literally “Animal Hill Vineyard”, consists of over 23,000 vines, including such varietals as Solaris, Muscaris, Reisling, and Souvignier Gris, Cabernet Cantor and Monarch.Much of the work on this vineyard is done by the two winemakers, though they also have had good help from friends and volunteers over the years since they began in 2008.
This vineyard has won “Best Danish Wine of the Year” awards in recent years among over 50 Danish vineyards and wineries, but also features a micro-distillery where they make beautiful cherry and apple liquors, gin and a delicious collection of other products such as apple butter.
We visited Dyrehøj Vingaard on a sunny August day, taking time to walk the vine rows, to enjoy the views overlooking Kalungborg Fjord (as seen in the opening photo), and visit with the energetic and welcoming winemaker, Bettina (pictured above). Due to a wet, windy, and cold July, the grapes are still a month away from veraison, in the same stages of growth as grapes in Yamhill County a month ago. Harvest will likely come in late October this year at this vineyard. Yet, the grape clusters looked full and healthy, the vine rows very well tended, and the vineyard in excellent condition.
If you have the blessing of coming to Denmark to visit Copenhagen, please do not miss the opportunity to head west to Kalundborg, and then on a few more miles onto the Roesnaes peninsula to Dyrehøj Vingaard, where you’ll enjoy a truly natural, beautiful, and high quality vineyard winery experience, both in their tasting room, and in the hillsides where their fine wines are rooted, raised, harvested. Tillykke to Dyrehøj.