Visiting an award winning winery in Kristiansand, Norway

Last summer I found out that we have a winery in Kristiansand. The winery is called Voie Vin and is located by Voie Bay on the west side of Kristiansand, which is Norway's southernmost major city. When I found out about the winery last year I payed them a visit. Last year we had to make an appointment directly with the owners, Kari and Reidar Mitander, when we could come. We were only three people visiting, but that meant that Reidar had plenty of time to talk to us about the wines they produced. It was a great surprice to discover that they were really good. We were the same three people who booked a wine tasting with a tour in July this year. This experience was different than last year. They now have a website and events to sign up for.

When approaching the winery, you will see that it looks like a small, typical Norwegean farm. But now the red building houses an award winning winery. The white building is where Kari and John Reidar lives. When you see the field with grapes, you will get the feeling of this being a winery before reaching the buildings.

This year we were 30 peole who had booked this tour. We started by following Reidar to the field. He started by telling us that they have been making wine for five years now. Not in a big scale. But what started as a hobby has turned into serious winemaking. He explained to us how to grow grapes. How they cut the plants. Where sugar is concentrated, names of grapes they grow etc. They make white wine of a grape called Solaris, but this year they also try Chardonnay and Riesling. They also experiment with a red grape called Rondo. They have 2000 plants and last year they produced 450 bottles of wine

Reidar says 2000 plants is enough for him and Kari to manage alone. If they want more plants, they will need to hire people to help. For the moment it will be only the two of them. He also says they'd rather focus on quality, rather than quantity.

After the tour in the field, we went to a table inside the barn. Here are the wines they produce. Kari showed us pictures from the winemaking process and the story of this old farm. Reidar tells us about each individual wine we are served.

Kari says the farm has been in the family's ownership since the 16th century. At that time, and for the most part, it was a farm that was engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing (located right by the sea). In 1993, Kari took over the farm. John Reidar moved in in 1995. The first thing he did was build a new farm building. This is where the winery is situated.

The make both, white, red, rose and sparkling wines. The name of the wines is Komorebi. Kari explaines that it is a Japanese word meaning «sunbeams through the leaves». For grapes to grow, sunlight is needed she says. After three years of producing wine, their sparkling wine won the first price and they won the third price for one the white wines ( in Norway, among Norwegean wines).

Definitely a pleasant surprise to discover that these are good wines. I am sure I will be back next year to check out there Chardonnay and Riesling.