Ästad Vingård, located in Tvååker outside Varberg in the Halland region of southern Sweden, is a family-owned business that has been in operation for three generations. Rolf and Ann-Catrine Carlsson took over the farm Ästad Gård from Rolf's parents in 1985. But countryside life was not easy, and the profitability of small-scale agriculture was in decline. So trying something new, the couple redirected the business to organic milk production and became one of the first ECO farms in Sweden. In parallel, they started a small-scale tourist business with a farm café, restaurant, and rooms for overnight stays. The Swedes may not have been ready for organic milk at this time, but weekends in the countryside were in great demand, and the bookings soon began to pour in. After working on the farm since childhood, Linda, Mattias and Daniel took over from their parents in 2010. With their interest in food and culinary experiences, the business expanded further, and Ästad Gård became a vineyard – Ästad Vingård.
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NEWSLETTER 41


From green milk to white wines and the Michelin Guide

Ästad Vingård, located in Tvååker outside Varberg in the Halland region of southern Sweden, is a family-owned business that has been in operation for three generations. Rolf and Ann-Catrine Carlsson took over the farm Ästad Gård from Rolf's parents in 1985. But countryside life was not easy, and the profitability of small-scale agriculture was in decline. So trying something new, the couple redirected the business to organic milk production and became one of the first ECO farms in Sweden.

In parallel, they started a small-scale tourist business with a farm café, restaurant, and rooms for overnight stays. The Swedes may not have been ready for organic milk at this time, but weekends in the countryside were in great demand, and the bookings soon began to pour in.

After working on the farm since childhood, Linda, Mattias and Daniel took over from their parents in 2010. With their interest in food and culinary experiences, the business expanded further, and Ästad Gård became a vineyard – Ästad Vingård.

This newsletter will give you a taste of what the vineyard Ästad Vingård offers today. If you want to see all the details, click on the images, which will open in a larger format.

Enjoy!
 


The Solaris grape thrives here

The first seedlings were planted in 2011; today, there are about 30,000 vines with the Solaris grape. The vineyard is divided into inland fields and coastal fields in nearby Morup. There is also experimental cultivation with a few rows of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

Solaris is a green grape well suited to grow in cooler climates. It is fresh and fruity, and the sweetness is excellent for making sparkling wine. The cultivation is entirely organic, and all wine is produced exclusively for the guests at Ästa Vingård. Today, primarily sparkling wine is produced, but a still white wine is made in good years with larger harvests.


Sparkling wine according to the Champagne method

The champagne method is the traditional production method where the wine ferments a first time in barrels and then a second time in the bottle, where the carbonic acid is formed naturally. After that, the yeast cells decay and include what is known as the ‘lees’ and must be removed, which is done in two stages.

The first step is called remuage, when the bottle is placed in a rack with the neck down, and the batches are spun and shaken lightly so that the lees move down towards the neck of the bottle. The move takes place in small steps where the orientation of the bottle changes gradually.

The next step is dégorgement when the bottled neck of the upside-down bottles is cooled down so the residue freezes into an ice plug. The bottles are then turned upright, and the temporary closure (usually a crown cap) is opened so that the lees are pushed out by the excess pressure in the bottle.

After that, the bottle is refilled with the missing volume and finished with a champagne cork and halter. Today, it is common for these steps to be handled mechanically, but at Ästad Vingård, they are still carried out by hand.


Restaurang ÄNG closes and re-emerges

Restaurang ÄNG was started in 2019 by head chef Filip Gemzell and sommelier Ann-Catrine Johansson. When the restaurant closed two years later, it had already earned a star in the Michelin Guide. In the summer of 2022, the restaurant reopened in a new building on the vineyard, and now the kitchen team sets its sights on a second Michelin star.

Filip Gemzell won the Swedish Chef Award in Gastronomic Sustainability for 2022. When he puts together the tasting menu, it varies according to season and availability. Everything comes from their garden next to the glass house and from the surrounding fields, forests, and lakes.

 


Scandinavian-inspired tasting menu

For the reopening of Restaurang ÄNG, a new concept was developed around the layout and experience. The concept revolves around a 19-course tasting menu that takes four hours and is divided into different locations around the restaurant.

The evening begins and ends in the greenhouse-like glass house, which also offers a mile-wide view of the Halland countryside. Here, guests are seated close to the chefs with the opportunity for conversations about the work in the kitchen.


A collaboration between Sweden, Denmark and Japan

The restaurant is designed by Daniel Carlsson, one of the owners of Ästad Vingård, and Danish firm Norm Arkitekter. Scandinavian style meets the simplistic Japanese style.The furniture is specially designed and manufactured by Karimoku in Japan.


Restaurant ÄNG works with social sustainability

ÄNG is KRAV-labelled for organic food with two stars. It has also received the Michelin Guide's green star for its sustainability work. This includes not only food but also social sustainability.

The restaurant is closed on weekends and sets aside time for joint holidays, which is unusual in finer restaurants. The choice is highly conscious and allows the staff to balance life between work, leisure, and family. In addition, the team can coordinate better to consistently deliver high quality.

ÄNG also collaborates with a psychologist who can contribute with valuable perspectives on cooperation, career, goals, and balance in life.


Wander in the wine cellar

In the wine cellar, there is room for 3,500 bottles. Here, guests can wander through the wine list that focuses on Europe, choose a package for the menu, or browse freely. The wine list is signed by Emma Ziemann, one of Sweden's most qualified competition sommeliers. She has won several awards, including the Lily Bollinger Award – the best female sommelier of the year and the Swedish Championship for Sommeliers 2022.

 


Relax at Sinnenas SPA

After a long dinner, guests can relax and enjoy new pleasures at Sinnenas SPA. Here the inspiration comes from the nature reserves at Åkulla Beech Forests surrounding the vineyard. Authentic sounds have been recorded in the forests, and together with fragrance experts, unique scents from local nature have been created.

Downstairs in the sauna, you have a view straight into the spring water pond, which also offers a refreshing cold bath all year round.

 


Inspiring environment for the conference

At Ästad Vingård, you can also hold your conference with meeting spaces for two up to a hundred people. In addition, the restaurants ÄNG and Logen, Sinnenas Spa and the vineyards form a unique environment that lends inspiration to any meeting.

 


Stay like a Hobbit or a King

At Ästad Vingård, there are several different accommodation options for overnight stays. Guests can choose between a large suite with, a spacious garden room with a sauna or enjoy ‘glamping’ in a timbered cabin cottage by the brook.

 


New area with your own bathing jetty

Currently, construction of 28 new hotel rooms is underway, to be completed in 2023. Before the new hotel is in place, an artificial pond will be built where the new houses will be placed on stilts out in the water. All rooms will have a sauna and a private jetty where guests can take a morning dip outside the door.
Ästad Vingård

Restaurang ÄNG

Norm Arkitekter

Karimoku
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Lasse Olsson Photo photographing and filming architecture, interior design, and lighting. My newsletter is published 4-6 times a year and presents photographed projects.

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