Danish vineyards are looking forward to a record-breaking, early harvest following this year's corking summer, reports Jyllands-Posten.
Normally, grapes are harvested in October in Denmark, but several vineyards have already started.
"This year is totally wild. Not only do we have a lot more grapes, but they are of a very high quality," Tom Christensen, the owner of Dyrehøj Winery near Kalundborg, which is one of the largest vineyards in the country, excitedly told the newspaper.
He said he would start harvesting at the end of the month – several weeks earlier than normal.
"We will probably harvest 18-20 tonnes of grapes, which is almost double 2013."
Premature joy?
However, very few make a living from running vineyards in Denmark. Even Christensen had to get a job on the side last year.
And Professor Jørgen E Olesen from University of Aarhus, who researches the effects of climate change on food production, cautioned against Denmark rivalling the likes of Chile, the US, Australia or France in the near future.
"The average temperature has increased by one degree in the past ten to 15 years compared to 30 years ago," he said.
"But for Denmark to become a wine country, the temperature would have to rise by another one and a half to two degrees," explained Olesen.
