The coldest country in the Nordics has an alcohol monopoly, says Ilkka Sirén. But its on-trade needs wine too, and that’s where the distributors come in.
Wine consumers in Europe’s cold north are navigating their way through big brands, a big monopoly, and vibrant restaurant wine lists, reports Ilkka Sirén.
The Republic of Finland, situated on the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, has warm summers and 100 days of freezing-cold winters, which suggests a good market for strong red wine. According to the market experts consulted by James Lawrence, however, the market situation is a bit more complex than that.
It’s got a wine-growing history that dates back to the Roman world. It’s got more than 220 authorised grape varieties over 55,000 hectares of vineyards, and it’s one of the most exciting wine-growing countries in Europe.
