Ever since I was 13, I’ve been interested in wine and how it’s made. A wine book on my father’s bookshelf sparked my interest in this wonderfully fascinating drink, with so many facets and endless stories behind it. At first, I bought good wines and stored them in the cellar to enjoy later, but a book—“Viticulture in Denmark”—published while I was studying for my forestry degree at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, gave an extra push to the idea of becoming a winegrower myself.

Back in 1999, when I was only 21, I planted my first vines on western Funen. A small vineyard of 350 vines was established on my parents’ property, where trials with different grape varieties and winemaking methods were carried out. This was the starting point for finding the perfect property for my life project of producing wine.

In 2011, I managed to find a suitable property after searching climate, soil-type and topographic maps. My passion for wine, the long-term perspective, and access to a suitable plot made the decision easy. The property became Vestergaard in Lundager near Assens, where the site is elevated, sheltered and warm, with well-suited soil.

In 2012, vines were planted, and by 2018 the vineyard had around 1,000 vines across nine different grape varieties. The main varieties are Solaris, Riesel and Rondo, but well-known grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also grown. 2014 was the first harvest year, when the wine went on sale.