Gute Winery’s gold medal winning grappa plays role in Swedish crime book
I was sitting lazily reading a Swedish crime novel on the balcony the other day. The book was “The Alchemy’s Eternal Fire” by Anna Jansson (my translation). I read it in Swedish but I’m sure it is translated into English as most Scandinavian crime novels are these days. The action in Anna Jansson’s books always takes place on the beautiful island of Gotland.
A few murders had already occurred and the tension was rising when I suddenly straightened my back and took a little bit more notice of what I was reading. They were talking about wine! The main characters in the book were travelling to Gute Winery (Gute Vingård), a well known wine estate on the island, to investigate some peculiar incident (I say no more…).
Lauri Pappinen, who owns Gute Vingård, also makes a “grappa” and one of these, the one called Restu, is playing a part in the book. One of the police officers is explaining to his colleague the quality and the reputation of Restu: “It has even won a gold medal at a prestigious competition in Paris in 2006,” he says.
Now I almost fall off the chair. The competition which the police officer is referring to is none other than our own, which we organized in conjunction with our Scandinavian Wine Fair 2006 in Paris. Restu did indeed win a gold medal and, just like the police officer in the book also points out, the French jury members were actually very surprised when they learned the results of the blind tasting. In fact the Restu Exklusiv grappa even won a Great Gold Medal.
BKWine organized The Scandinavian Wine Fair on three occasions, in 1996, 2004 and in 2006. Exhibitors were wine-growing Scandinavians from all over the world. Most of them were growing wine in France (Provence, Bordeaux, Gaillac, Bergerac, Languedoc …) but also in Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, United States and other countries.
Lack of time, among other things, made it impossible for us to continue with the event. But maybe it’s time to think about it again? We had such an atmosphere. The producers appreciated meeting each other and exchanging views and experiences and the visitors got to try a lot of nice wines as well as hearing a lot of stories about exciting life changing adventures.
When you come from “the outside” and try to make your way in the wine business you always have a story to tell.
More info below the photos.
The prize winners at the Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris
GREAT Gold Medals
Red wine
- Château Lecusse 2001 Vieilli en fût, Gaillac, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
Rosé wine
- Chateau de Palayson Rosé 2004, Côtes de Provence, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
Dry white wine
- Château Carsin l’Etiquette Grise 2002, Bordeaux, France, (producer “from” Finland)
Sweet white wine
- Château Carsin 2001, Cadillac, France, (producer “from” Finland)
Spirits
- Gute Restu Exklusiv “grappa”, Gute Vingård, Gotland, Sweden, (producer from Sweden)
Gold Medals
Red wines
- Profils Bordeaux: Château Belle Garde 2003, Cuvée élevée en fût de chêne, Bordeaux, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Château Palayson Cuvée Christine 2003, Côtes de Provence, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
Dry white wines
- Château de Raissac CVM 2004, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Georg Breuer Nonnenberg Riesling 2004, Rheingau, Germany, (producer “from” Sweden)
Sweet white wines
- Château Champcenetz 2003, Cadillac, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
Fortified wine
- Vino de Jerez Pedro Ximenez Antique, Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla, Jerez, Spain, (producer “from” Norway)
Spirits
- Cognac Extra-Gammal Halfdan Birkedal Hartmann, Cognac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Cognac Jenssen Epiphanie, Cognac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Cognac XO Birkedal Hartmann, Cognac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
Silver Medals
Red wines
- Domaine Pialentou, “Les Gentilles Pierres” 2002, Gaillac, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
- Canto Perlic 2003, Gaillac, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
- Syrah 2003, Cuvée de la Résidence, Vin de Pays de Coteaux de l’Ardèche, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
- Le Dominicain Collioure Rouge Colline Matisse 2004, Collioure, Roussillon, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
- Château de Palayson Rouge 2002, Côtes de Provence, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
- Château Raissac Cuvée Gustave Fayet 2002, Languedoc, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Profils Bordeaux: Château la Mothe du Barry Cuvée Design 2003, Bordeaux Supérieur, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Château Carsin 2003, Cuvée Privée, Bordeaux, France, (producer “from” Finland)
- Profils Bordeaux: Château Grand Tuillac Cuvée Elégance 2002, Côtes de Castillon, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Château K 2003, Bergerac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Château Champcenetz Cuvée Spéciale 2002, 1ère Côtes de Bordeaux, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
- Alma de Champcenetz 2002, Bordeaux Supérieur, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
White wines
- Château Lecusse, Gaillac blanc sec 2004, Gaillac, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
- Villa Sandahl Rhine Riesling Pinot Gris 2004, Hungary, (producer “from” Sweden)
- Abbaye de Ste Radegonde Chardonnay Cuvée Spéciale 2004, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France, France, (producer “from” Finland)
- Chateau Peyriac de Mer, Vin de Pays Chardonnay 2004, Languedoc, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
- Château Carsin 2004, Bordeaux, France, (producer “from” Finland)
- Château K 2003, Bergerac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
Sweet white wines
- Ice wine Vidal 2003, Blaxta, Sweden, (producer from Sweden)
- Vino de Jerez Amontillado Antique, Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla, Jerez, Spain, (producer “from” Norway)
- Le Dominicain, Banyuls Blanc René Perrot 2004, Roussillon, France, (producer “from” Sweden)
Vin de l’apertif
- Divin de Lavande, Didier Cornillon, France, (producer “from” Denmark)
Spirits
- Cognac Jenssen XO Grande Champagne, Cognac, France, (producer “from” Norway)
- Armagnac 1989 Château de Castex d’Armagnac, Armagnac, France
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