This striking new vineyard is putting Swedish wine on the map

Set within a 19th-century farm complex, Kullabergs Vingård is an unusual sight in the Swedish countryside- and not because of its bold, deep red building. What's unusual is that up till the mid-1990s, wineries were not allowed here. Still, responding to a growing interest in winemaking in the country and set in the heritage-protected part of the northwest of Skåne country, this vineyard has been thriving.

Kullabergs Vingård: take the tour

As demand, and therefore, production, grew, the vineyard has now reached some 20 ha. This meant that more space was needed for its operation and in 2019, the owners applied for planning permission to expand, working with Stockholm-based Berglund Arkitekter. The recently completed result comprises the elegant, richly coloured, pitched roofed volumes of the new winery and its machine hall, a press hall, a tank hall, a room for bottling and packing and a cellar totalling approximately 2000 sq m.

Paulina Berglund, the project's architect and practice co-founder, explains: 'Historically there has been no wine production in Sweden. It was prohibited until 1995 when Sweden joined the EU. It is only in the last ten years that the production of wine has been commercialised. This also brought environmental awareness since we began with a ”carte blanche” and could therefore adapt to this from the beginning. The use of wood is one aspect of this, the design of a new building with a timeless approach another.'

Design considerations when conceiving the extension included massing and height - for example, local planning regulations dictated that the original barn structure should remain the tallest building on the Kullabergs campus. Berglund adds: 'It was also important to use as few materials as possible and to avoid interior surface treatment and instead use robust materials which maintain function over time and age beautifully.'

The commission was an exciting 'first' for the Berglund Arkitekter studio. The architect says: 'It is indeed so much fun to learn new things you never even given any thought to before. It is also a great experience to be one of a team that actually has put Sweden on the wine map. Now there are many ambitious new vineyards in the country and it is a very exciting journey to be part of.'

The new addition has joined the existing structures in the complex (which also contains a bar for wine tasting). This comes at a critical time for Swedish wine making, as from June this year, the country's wine producers are finally allowed to sell their wine within their farm. All you have to do is stop by for a taste.