On my bedside table is a brick-size book with the title “Wine & Spirits – From Politics to Market” (”Vin & Sprit – Från Politik till Marknad”). On almost 450 pages, the author Hans De Geer describes Swedish alcohol policy between 1917 and 2008. Got a tip from Per Karlsson to read this and it […]
We have just returned from this year’s wine tour in South Africa and as usual we have tasted fantastic wines that show the ambition that exists in the country. But we should not forget the difficulties facing the South African wine industry. A large number of the country’s grape growers struggle financially and have a […]
A true story Systembolaget, the Swedish wine and spirits monopoly, usually boasts its wide range of products, but as is well known, the majority of all their listed products, especially quality wines, are the result of the work of private importers. Of the approximately 18,000 items the company offers, only about 2,500 are in the […]
Systembolaget, the Swedish alcohol monopoly, has published its financial statements. It had a turnover in 2016 of 28.5 billion SEK (3 bn euro), an increase of 3%. The profit (operating profit) amounted to SEK 217 million (23 million euro), an increase of 21% from 2015, a not entirely insignificant profit from a company who likes […]
No, I am not kidding. The very small company called Mjödhamnen is threatened with a law suit by the very big monopoly retailer Systembolaget in Sweden. Mjödhamnen means “the port of mead” and is a small, tiny, producer and importer of mead. What has Mjödhamnen done? Well, they have used pie charts, circular diagrams, to […]
No, it’s no April Fool’s joke. From 1 April 2015, it will be allowed for grocery stores to sell alcohol, wine and liquor, according to a recent decision by the government. In order to sell alcohol, food stores must meet certain requirements. The sales may not be too dominated by alcohol. At least 75% of […]
No, not yet. It is likely to happen in Pennsylvania in the autumn but not in Sweden. In Sweden it will take more time. But there is quite a lot of discussion at the moment, with some exotic elements. The CEO of the Systembolaget (monopoly retailer), Magdalena Gerger, has in several articles in the press […]
Sometimes winemakers ask us about the rules around sending wines to Sweden. Most know that there is a monopoly in Sweden but they also have customers from Sweden asking for shipments. In fact, although there is a retail monopoly for alcohol in Sweden it is perfectly legal for Swedes to buy from abroad. Or to […]
I wish this heading would be about Sweden but it is not. It is about Pennsylvania where a new law was almost passed that would abolish the existing monopoly on alcohol (wine, beer spirits) sales in the US state: Privatization Is Political Victim in Pennsylvania. Apparently it is likely that the law will instead be […]
How Systembolaget subsidises luxury wines From time to time a few bottles of Romanée Conti, Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC), arrive in Sweden. This Thursday Systembolaget will launch this wine in a “new” vintage (2010). There will be in total four bottles available of Romanee Conti in Systembolaget’s “web launch” (wines only sold on […]
There are currently several ways for Swedes to buy wine, although there is supposedly a monopoly. “Direct import”, where you order wine from another country, from a winery or a wine shop, is one. Here is some information on how this works with details on how to do it. Plus some speculation on what the […]
How does the fact of having a monopoly on retail sales influence the range of products on sale in Sweden? A few years back a new range of wines was introduced, the so called “On Order” range which means that the wine lover can choose from thousands of wines in addition to the normal range […]
It is easy to believe that the USA is the pinnacle of market economies. In the alcohol sector that could not be farther from the truth. The rules around selling alcohol vary much from state to state and even within states. In Texas each county can set its own rules. Some weeks ago 13 votes […]
Internet wine shops can sell directly to Swedish consumers and bypass the monopoly The Swedish wine market is dominated by the monopoly retailer, Systembolaget (just like Alko in Finland and Vinmonopolet in Norway). Since a few years back there are a number of independent internet-based wine merchants selling directly to Swedish consumers. A interesting new […]
This will give you yet another curious view on the Swedish wine scene and the Swedish journalist community. In Sweden there is a retail monopoly. But since a few years back, thanks to EU regulations, Swedes are allowed to buy wine from sellers who are based in other EU countries. This has sparked a budding […]
According to a report in Decanter the Canadian province of Ontario will introduce an upper limit for how much an empty bottle of wine may weigh. Decanter refers to a letter written by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) that specifies an upper weight limit for bottles of 420 grams for wines retailing at […]
From a wine perspective this is of moderate interest. But from an economic and business perspective it can be interesting. In Sweden more than half of all wine that is sold in the monopoly shops (“Systemboalget”) are sold in bag-in-box. In Sweden they call it box wine. Other countries have other names for it: cubitaner […]
This is a question that pops up quite often, both from Swedish residents and from wine producers / wine sellers. This is a first version of the answer, perhaps not 100% exact (it is difficult to be that) nor 100% to be taken as legal advice: Yes he can. Under certain conditions. Since a few […]
“Can a Swedish resident import wine for personal consumption, without having to go through the monopoly, or is it completely out of the question?” This is a question that pops up quite often, both from Swedish residents and from wine producers / wine sellers. This is a first version of the answer, perhaps not 100% […]
There is currently a debate raging in Sweden on an issue that seen from the outside seems peripheral to say the least. Nevertheless it has escalated to become the most important item in the Swedish government’s review of its alcohol policy. Sweden has a monopoly on alcohol sales in the retail sector. The only shop […]
The Swedish retail monopoly Systembolaget has announced that they will release the long awaited lot of wines from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti on October 19. It is various cuvées from DRC from the 2006 vintage which have been resting in the monopoly cellars for quite some time. The top wine is the Romanée […]
Some of the world’s most expensive wines come from Domaine de la Romanée Conti in Burgundy. They can go for around 4000€. Per bottle. The Swedish monopoly Systembolaget received its allocation of the 2006 wines early 2009. They have still not been sold in the monopoly stores though. According to WOW News there is a […]
They are discussing a reintroduction of the monopoly model for selling alcohol in the country. A working group is toiling to present a proposal in March 2010. The Prime Minister, who has initiated the project, has already previously introduced strict limitations on the sale of alcohol, e.g. by forbidding internet sales, we read in Vitisphere.com. […]
Usually, this is a story that would only appear in the Swedish edition of the BKWine Brief but this is so outrageous so we have to share it with everyone. In a recent issue of one of the biggest daily paper the Swedish monopoly retailer of wine and spirits, Systembolaget, run a two page ad. […]
No, we’re not talking about the French anti-wine campaigns. 2.3 million euro (25 M SEK to be precise) is the budget that the Swedish retail monopoly Systembolaget spends on advertising in a year, according to numbers released at their AGM recently. But don’t get it wrong, they are not making publicity for wine or spirits. […]
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