Pinot Noir in Strangest Places

The most northerly vineyard in the world lies in Norway at latitude 60 degrees North. The Hallingstad Vineyard consists of 5 planted acres of primarily Pinot Noir, with smaller amounts of Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier and some other hybrids. The site is appropriate for grape growing because of the neighboring Oslofjord whose waters keep the temperature mild in this unique microclimate. The first 2,000 vines were planted by Sveier Hansen in 1992 and the first Pinot Noir released in 1995.
The Pinot Noir is named after the painter Edvard Munch who lived in nearby Asgardstrand in 1897. Each vintage of L’Esprit d’Edvard Munch has a label showing one of Edvard Munch’s paintings as a tribute to both the artist and the wine. The num- bered bottles in the Munch series (1995-1999) are snapped up by collectors and a full series is worth considerable money.
According to wineontheweb.com, Harald Nordi, writing in the Swedish publication All About Wine, the Pinot Noir is “Lighter than a Burgundy, but darker than a Beaujolais. A surprisingly intense and complex bouquet, dominated by wild rasp- berries.