1. Why did you become a wine producer?
To disprove the doubters and to prove to myself I could do it in spite of having no previous experience or knowledge and coming into the business fairly late in life. But also of course, to make the best wine I could possibly make, preferably one that would live on long after I am dead.
2. What qualities or virtues do you value most in a glass of wine?
Balance. Ease. Complexity at the level of the ambitions of the wine itself.
3. What’s your favourite pairing?
A sweet wine, a comfortable chair, a sleeping hunting dog and maybe a cigar.
4. What kind of wine is always on hand in your home?
Light reds. Good quality Riesling. Port.
5. If you had to choose a wine, a book and a song to take with you to a desert island, which would they be?
A simple but good Beaujolais if the island is tropical and a great Port if the island is in the northern hemisphere, Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin and Starting Over by Chris Stapleton.
6. Describe in one sentence the area in which you work.
Emotion, eternity and music.
7. Any anecdotes you would like to share about your years working in the wine business?
I come from software where nothing happens without a paper of some kind being passed around and signed. The wine business is the complete opposite and must be one of the last places in the world where no one signs any papers. It is built on trust, and is as rewarding now as it was frustrating in the beginning.
8. What do you think is the best way to make wine popular among young people?
We need to talk about experience first. Joy and taste. Legacy and tradition can follow but they are enhancers rather than reasons. People will say they don't like sweet wines but that is mostly down to bad connotations than actually tasting.
9. What do you like most about Vinoble?
The singular focus on wines that are underrated both in terms of business and experience. Vinoble is very important going forward because drinking culture will change and is changing to become more open and about enjoyment first. In that change, sweet and fortified wines will have their moment for sure. We see growth for sweet wines in our home market for the first time in many decades and Vinoble will strengthen that growth globally.
10. What holds more merit, being able to make good wine or being successful at selling it?
Although this is not always the case, making good wine should in time produce sales. But in reality they are equally dependent on one another for producers to develop and thrive.
Visit Brännland Iscider website at: www.brannlandcider.se