Gilleleje Wine

About the winery

Gilleleje Wine was established in 2018, by Merete & Søren Engelsen at “Østergaard” in Hågendrup just 3 km south from the unique harbour “Gilleleje Havn” with a favourable microclimate for growing fruits. The estate is in total 3.5 hectares of which the mildly descending 2 hectares south facing “Hågendrup Hill” vineyard is planted with Solaris (5000 vines), Muscaris (200 vines) and Pinot Noir Précoce (Frühburgunder, 1700 vines). Gilleleje Wine is intended as a family business and accordingly we are deeply dependent on the help and support from our four boys: Valdemar, Magnus, Oliver & Christian as well as the rest of the family and friends. The soil at Østergaard is a sandy, silty clay with scattered stones and blocks created by the ice-age. Silt is a type of soil which is so fine-grained that you can barely feel the particles by rubbing it between your fingers and it has a tendency to create dust in the dry season. This type of soil has a good retention of minerals especially in the clay layer at approximately 1.5 m depth. We are managing the vineyard by organic and regenerative practices which clearly is reflected by the level of dandelions in the spring. We have not yet applied for organic production, but we intend to earn this. Although we are food professionals with extensive experience in food production and food analysis, our wine project is very much “learning by doing”. Along these lines we have with the help of family and friends planted every single vine and mounted every single espalier ourselves. Our oldest son Valdemar, who is educated as a wine-gardener, has been an invaluable help in designing and executing on the plan. In the beginning, weed control was performed by hand and by lawnmower, now we have a tractor to do this important work. It is indisputable that the final wine quality has its origin in the farming practises in the vineyard. It is our ambition to make world class Danish farm-wines that are adapted to the soils and near-coast microclimate of Østergaard. Our priority is to create a clear crisp dry white wine that fits well with the hedonistic living in the summer lands of Northern Zeeland and that match to the shellfish and other seafood landed in the neighbouring Gilleleje harbour. While trying to excel in the white, we are working seriously to improve on the burgundy style Pinot Noir Précoce wine to getting the phenolic taint that is so attractive with pinots, as well as developing our cool climate style orange wine with long skin contact and some oak ageing.