Danmark Elsker Oregon Vin

Denmark loves Oregon wine

By Kerry McDaniel Boenisch

In 1972, when my family planted the first vines in our Dundee Hills vineyard, we never envisioned sending wine to Denmark– or any other country for that matter. If we were able to make wine from said vines, we hoped some local restaurants would carry it. Maybe, if we hit the big time, our wines might sell at downtown Portland’s Fred Meyer. This described our early, euphemistically titled “market development phase,” similar to Phil Knight selling early versions of Nike shoes from the trunk of his car in the 1960s.

According to the 2022 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Report (produced by the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement at the University of Oregon on behalf of the Oregon Wine Board), the top three Oregon wine exporting countries are Canada (73,323 cases), followed by the United Kingdom and Japan. Denmark ranked fourth.

Meeting Søren Salin, principal at Salin Wine Group, involved some catching up. Salin’s company exports 20 percent of the 6925 cases of Oregon wine bound for Denmark. To learn more, I spoke with Salin and Oregon wine industry veteran Harry Peterson-Nedry at his Ribbon Ridge winery. Salin explained why he travels annually from his office in Copenhagen to Oregon.

“So many aspects of the Oregon wine industry intrigue me– the people, the diversity of approach on wine production– and how friendly people are in this part of the U.S. My taste profiles vary from time to time during the year, but the brightness– acidity– and fruit-driven notes are what really drew me to Oregon wines,” said Salin.

Another reason entailed a chance meeting in 2013 with Maria Ponzi. She was in Copenhagen pouring at an Oregon Wine Board marketing export event when Salin was leaving his job with his family’s furniture business. Intrigued by Oregon, he chatted with Ponzi while sampling the legendary Ponzi Vineyards wines. Although he had explored California and East Coast wines, the Ponzi Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris were “spectacular.”

Three members of the Denmark restaurant industry joined us at the Ribbon Ridge tasting. All hope to share their Oregon wine education with restaurants back home: Lena Atzen, a former chef now working as a server at Molkskroen Hotel and Restaurant; Anna Samantha Kass, a wine consultant at Hotel Ny Hattenaes in Silkeborg, three hours west of Copenhagen; and Kristine Sofie from Mielcke and Hurtigkarl, a Japanese fusion restaurant in the Copenhagen suburb of Frederiksberg, an independent municipality famous for its gastronomy and green spaces.

The Danes spent a week exploring unique flavor profiles of the Northern Willamette Valley. Their itinerary: Bethel Heights Vineyard, Hope Well Wine, Zena Crown Vineyard, Colene Clemens Vineyards, Hyland Estates, Brittan Vineyards, Celestial Hill Vineyard, Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Adelsheim Vineyard, Hamacher Wines, Ponzi Vineyards, Soléna Estate, Ribbon Ridge Vineyards, Ridgecrest Vineyards, Twill Cellars and Sokol Blosser Winery. A chance stop at Raptor Ridge Winery resulted in yet another Oregon wine for Salin’s export list. They also visited the Oregon coast, catching crabs and reflecting on the similarities between Oregon and Danish food and wine.

Flashback to the 1970s: The quintessential matching– seafood and wine– became one of Oregon’s signature pairings with a boost from none other than Papa Pinot, aka David Lett. The Eyrie Vineyards’ founders David and Diana Lett began making wine in a building my father rented to them on the site of our granary, McDaniel Grain. The winery continues to operate from the same building over 50 years later. My family watched with rapt attention as the Letts developed relationships with local fisheries, hazelnut farms and the burgeoning locally-sourced restaurant industry, most notably Nick’s Italian Café in McMinnville and L’Auberge in Northwest Portland. According to the Lett’s son and Eyrie principal, Jason Lett, his father developed a bond with nearby fisherman and often matched salmon with his vintages. This now iconic food and wine pairing became somewhat tedious, joking that he would comment “Hmmm, fresh salmon again.” But I digress…

Back to 2024: At a dinner party, chef Lena treated us to fresh pan-seared trout she had bought from Newberg’s Northwest Fresh Seafood Company. It’s a fish resembling one served in her Molkskroen restaurant. Located on a beach in Mols Bjerge National Park, the parallels between Oregon and Denmark are apparent. A brief glance at the restaurant’s menu reflects a focus on creating locally sourced menus, guest service and sustainability.

Ponzi and husband Brett, also at the dinner party, reminisced about her timely encounter at the Denmark tasting. Soon after returning home, Ponzi received an email from Salin asking to import her wine to share with Danish restaurant and hotel clients. That shipment, the first of many, now includes wines from all over Oregon. Never underestimate the power of a chance meeting celebrating locally sourced food and wine pairings to introduce Oregon to all corners of the world.

Kerry McDaniel Boenisch is an author, speaker, wine judge and "Wine Sisters Cheers to Change" Vlog co-host with Atlanta, Georgia Corks and Cuvee wine store owner Regina Jones Jackson. She is currently working on her fourth book, Fall Down, Stand Up, Learning From Loss Amidst the Vines— The Beginners Guide to Grieving, Empty-nesting and Finding Joy, due out this fall. Her three books are Vineyard Memoirs (2004), Dirt+Vine=Wine (2015)  and Intertwined— Grief, Gratitude and Growing a Vineyard (2019).