Where to drink Champagne in Denmark?
Denmark might be better known for beer, but it has quietly built a wine scene of its own. The country was officially recognised as a wine-growing area only in 2000, and today vineyards can be found from Jutland and Funen to Zealand and Bornholm. Champagne has its place in Denmark too, particularly in Copenhagen’s restaurants, wine bars and hotels, but there’s also a growing local sparkling wine scene worth discovering.
If you’re looking for Champagne in Denmark, Copenhagen is the obvious place to start. The capital has a broad restaurant and wine-bar scene, but Danish wine is worth seeking out too – especially if you’re curious about what can actually be produced this far north.
Danish wine is shaped by the climate. Solaris is the country’s leading grape variety, prized for ripening early and coping well with the cooler conditions. It is widely used for fresh white wines and also for sparkling wine. Rondo is another important Danish variety, particularly for red wines.
And if bubbles are your thing, Denmark has some particularly interesting bottles to look for. Producers such as Skærsøgaard, By Stokkebye and Brut de Møn make Danish sparkling wines, including wines made from Pinot Noir and other varieties you may recognise from Champagne.
Good to know
Denmark now has vineyards across the country, but Zealand, Jutland, Funen and Bornholm are the four main wine-growing areas. One particularly interesting area is Røsnæs in West Zealand, where the combination of a relatively mild coastal climate and south-facing slopes has helped make it one of Denmark’s most productive wine areas.
For a Champagne drinker, Danish sparkling wine is probably the most interesting place to start. Brut de Møn, for example, focuses on sparkling wine on the island of Møn, while By Stokkebye produces traditional-method-style sparkling wines based primarily on Pinot Noir.