Category Archives: Wine Event

The end of an era?

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For years the Burgundslipp has been for the wineloving wine nerds. But the past years it’s gone down a different path. The first time I joined the queue back in 2019, the front runners were genuine wine lovers, with a keen interest in wine, especially wines from Burgundy. I remember sitting around, listening to them talk about things like the different vintages, terroir and producers. I was impressed with their passion and their knowledge, and was thankful to be included in those conversations and happy to be part of the queue.

For those who have no idea what I am talking about, here’s a quick summary: I might have to explain what the Burgundslipp actually is. Which is not an easy task. Because this phenomenon only happens in Norway, and if we’re really being honest, it’s concentrated around Aker Brygge in Oslo. Here are the broad strokes: on a Thursday in early February at 10 am, the doors open at 12 different Vinmonopol in Norway. And inside, there are hundreds (thousands?) of rare wines from Burgundy. But they are not only rare; they are quite cheap, relatively speaking. And so once a year, it’s possible to get your hands on rare, expensive wines for a fraction of the price of anywhere else in the world. 

The end of an era? 

When I first joined the queue in 2019, I joined the ranks of fellow wine lovers, and enjoyed countless conversations on the topic of Burgundy. Sometimes I even got to talk about Piemonte, but regardless, the topic was wine. We might have even shared a bottle or two. Maybe.  

Today, the queue is a whole other story. The previous front runners have been replaced with bottle flippers, who display little to no interest in wine. The ROI is so high that the temptation to spend 4-6  weeks out on the street in Norway in February in order to make a buck or two has changed the Burgundslipp queue. And it’s changed for the worse. 

It’s sad that so many of the bottles intended for the Norwegian market leave the country almost instantly. The majority of the DRC bottles that have been released in Norway are probably already scattered across the world. It’s sad that the majority of the people in the queue have little to no interest in wine. It’s sad that it’s become a business operation that prevents wine lovers from getting their hands on wine they otherwise might not be able to afford.

Now, let me get ahead of a few things

I want to be very clear: I’m not saying that no one ever sold any of the wines for profit before. That’s most likely been going on for years. The difference between then and now, is that there was a majority of genuine wine enthusiasts before. And the people at the front of the line also bought wines for themselves, that they would enjoy drinking later. In other words, they sold some of the more expensive bottles in order to fund their wine interest.

I also want to acknowledge that I understand the temptation to turn the Burgundy release into a profitable operation. I mean, it is tempting to be able to earn some (read A LOT) money without really doing anything, except sitting in a tent in the freezing Norwegian winter. If you take away the fact that it’s wine they are flipping, it’s really just another way to make money. I’m just sad that it’s happening to the Burgundslipp. 

Burgundslipp 2024 – disappointing  

Every year, the list of which wines will be available Thursday morning, is released the Friday before. And just like the previous years, I impatiently refreshed my browser. I was especially eager this year because Merete Bø had already revealed that Domaine Leflaive wouldn’t be on the list for the first time. So I wondered what else might be left off the list this year. And in the end, the selection of wines being released was extremely disappointing.  

Where was Liger-Belair? Or Angerville? Michel Lafarge? Maison AS? Cassiopee? Or countless other wines from producers far better than several on the Burgundslipp list. It was almost as disappointing as the Piemonte release. If it keeps going like this, pretty soon the only wines «worth» queuing for will be gone, and then what’s the point? I mean, if you’re not in it only for the money.  

Burgundslipp 2025 – even more disappointing 

Friday January 31st, 6 days before the release, and the list is uploaded. The people who had been queuing since December 28th (yes, you read that correctly) were happy because as per usual, there were 2 RC and 1 Montrachet. So they were set. But what about everyone else? I do really believe that we are headed towards the end of an era, because the selection of wines were disappointing. Wines that should have been under allocation wasn’t and wine that was allocated shouldn’t even have been on the list in the first place. And once again, a ton of wines were left off the release completely. Like Leflaive.  

What next? 

I get it. I get why the importer left Leflaive off of the list again. Because when the importer sells directly to private customers through Spesialbestilling, they are able to ensure that the majority ends up in the hands of people who will actually drink it and they are able to spread the allocation across a lager group of people.It’s not a perfect system, and I don’t think we will ever really find a perfect system where everyone is happy. But I do think the importers have the opportunity to make it more fair. And some have already started.  

The end? 

You’re still here? I am too. Every year I think long and hard about whether this Burgundslipp will be my last. Because I do feel a bit hypocritical participating in this circus. There are so many other good wines available in Norway that, for some reason, don’t make the cut. But there are still a couple of wonderful aspects about the Burgundslipp that I enjoy that I am not quite ready to let go. Like camping outside. Or drinking wine with fellow wine lovers. And getting my hands on a bottle or two that I likely wouldn’t get otherwise. Besides, as one of the very few women who partake in this, it would be shame to weaken that statistic. Can’t let the men have all the fun.  

My 72 hour Burgundslipp adventure

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© Mathias Harildstad

Sunday morning, on the 5th of February, I packed my backpack and headed down to Aker Brygge. And as of 9am that morning, I was officially in the Burgundslipp queue, 73 hours before the doors to Vinmonopolet would open. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, here’s a quick summary: I might have to explain what the Burgundslipp actually is. Which is not an easy task. Because this phenomenon only happens in Norway, and if we’re really being honest, it’s concentrated around Aker Brygge in Oslo. Here are the broad strokes: February 9th, at 10 am, the doors open at Vinmonopolet Aker Brygge. And inside, there are hundreds of rare wines from Burgundy. But they are not only rare; they are quite cheap, relatively speaking. And so once a year, it’s possible to get your hands on rare, expensive wines for a fraction of the price of anywhere else in the world.

But there’s a catch. You have to get in line. They let people into the store, one at a time, in order of appearance in the queue. And although the wines scattered around on the floor might be attainable for person number 57, it’s the wine behind the counter that’s got people lining up days, or even weeks in advance. And yes, it’s February in Norway. And yes, it’s cold. And yes, they live outside, at Aker Brygge, for days or weeks at a time, waiting for those doors to open. And, yes, it’s quite crazy.

Anyway, back to this year’s Burgundlslipp. It’s Sunday February 5th. I sat there, in my camping chair, waiting for the other members of the queue to wake up. It’s not like I was in a hurry to set up my bed and unpack. I literally had 73 hours to kill. But I wondered then, what would this year’s Burgundslipp be like? And who were the other people in the queue? I had already picked up on things being quite different this year. For instance, the first 10 in the queue were not the “regular” queue veterans. And as time went on, I would come to realize just how different this year’s queue would be.

Fight Club

I get a lot of questions about this Burgundslipp business. And some questions are harder to answer than others. One of the main reasons some questions are hard to answer, is because there are a lot of things I don’t know. The queue operates on a sort of unspoken “fight club” rule, as in we don’t talk about fight club. Or, in this case, the ongoings of the queue. So if you’re here to learn all our secrets, you might be disappointed. You might not get the answers to your questions. There are things that will be left unsaid.

Now, you might think that since I am a part of the queue, I would have all the answers. But I do not. It’s mainly because I don’t ask. Although I am pretty sure that if I did ask, my questions would go unanswered. Or they would give me a false answer. I mean, do we really think a member of the queue is planning on making the world’s best sangria with the DRC Romanee-Conti?

“Why spend 4 weeks in the queue if you don’t have the slightest interest in wine?”

That’s a (translated) quote I offered to Dagbladet. And let’s just let that sink in for a minute. Why would a 20 year old spend weeks out on then street, in the dead of Norwegian winter, in order to get their hands on wines from burgundy, when they don’t seem the slightest bit interest in wine at all?

Previous years, the vast majority of the participants of the queue were other likeminded wine lovers, with a great interest for wine. I recall elaborate conversations about vintages, vineyards, winemakers and wines in previous years, conversations from which I learned a great deal. This year, I found myself being the one imparting knowledge. And we’re talking very basic knowledge. In fact, it seemed many of this year’s top 10 didn’t know which grapes were used in the wines they were waiting to buy.

So where do all these bottles end up? I think we can draw a likely conclusion: they buy the wines, and then turn around and sell them. Now, I am not saying that no one in previous years sold any of the bottles. In fact, I am pretty sure many of them sold some of the more “lucrative” wines. (And by lucrative I mean the wines that have the highest ROI when you turn around and sell them.) However, I am also sure they bought a lot of wine for themselves. And I am certain of this because I know some of them. I know they are interested in wine. I have spoken with them, and listened to them talk, about wine. But this year, it seems an overwhelming majority of the participants were in the queue for the sole purpose of making money. And that made me a bit sad.

© Mathias Harildstad

The end of an era?

Like Merete Bø said to NRK, this might be the beginning of the end. If next year’s Burgundslipp is anything like this year’s, it’s likely the whole concept will be shut down. I mean, why release wines in Norway, when they (allegedly) end up in England, China or Singapore anyway? The winemakers ex cellar price is probably the same whether they sell to Norway, England or Singapore. So why not sell directly to those countries? Alternatively, just sell to HORECA. That way you know the bottles will stay in the country, and fellow wine lovers can enjoy these wines at local wine bars and restaurants.

I am very curious to see how things unfold. And if there is a Burgundslipp next year, I hope to see some of my fellow female wine lovers there. Among the first 50 I could count the women on one hand…

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you go to the bathroom?
Well, there are quite a few bathrooms to choose from at Aker Brygge. And if you have to go at night, there is a 24 hour bathroom we can use.

Can you leave?
Yes, you can. But for how long is regulated by the queue. I personally never strayed far from my spot, and made sure to tell at least one other person in the queue where I was going. I never left Aker Brygge in those 73 hours.

Do the queue participants sell the wines?
I refer to my earlier “fight club” comment. I can not with a 100% certainty answer this question. I never asked them, and they never told me. But sure, I have a strong feeling quite a few of this years’ participant sold the wines. In fact, I am pretty sure most of those wines have left the country.

Are you the only woman?

Pretty much. At least among the ones sleeping multiple nights out on the street. A few women arrive Wednesday night, Thursday morning. But I was the only woman who slept 4 nights in the queue.

What wines did I buy?
Red and white wines from Burgundy.

Burgundslipp 2023

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It’s finally that time of year again: Burgundslipp! I don’t think anyone could have predicted that a global pandemic would postpone the Burgundslipp for 2 years. And when it’s finally back on again, something unexpected happened.

But before we get into that, I might have to explain what the Burgundslipp is. Which is not an easy task. Because this phenomenon only happens in Norway, and if we’re really being honest, it’s concentrated around Aker Brygge in Oslo. Here are the broad strokes: February 9th, at 10 am, the doors open at Vinmonopolet Aker Brygge. And inside, there are hundreds of rare wines from Burgundy. But they are not only rare; they are quite cheap, relatively speaking. And so once a year, it’s possible to get your hands on rare, expensive wines for a fraction of the price of anywhere else in the world.

But there’s a catch. You have to get in line. They let people into the store, one at a time, in order of appearance in the queue. And although the wines scattered around on the floor might be attainable for person number 57, it’s the wine behind the counter that’s got people lining up days, or even weeks in advance. And yes, it’s February in Norway. And yes, it’s cold. And yes, they live outside, at Aker Brygge, for days or weeks at a time, waiting for those doors to open. And, yes, it’s quite crazy. I’ve answered some questions about this before, like why do it and do they keep or sell the wine. But for now, let’s get back to this year’s curveball!

Burgundslipp sleeping arrangements

Plot Twist

January 13th, I get a message: “There are 2 people in line. And apparently they have never been in line before.” If we do some quick math, that’s 27 days before the wines hit the deck. A whopping 9 days more than the previous record for number of days spent in the queue. Thursday January 17th I get a new message: “A 3rd one has appeared.” And just like that, the first 3 spots in the queue are taken. By Sunday January 22nd, there are already 6 people in line. And it doesn’t seem like that any of them have been in the queue before (they are not so talkative, so some deductions have been made). And so the 6 spots that are normally occupied by the regulars, are now taken. This is significant, because of the top wines, there are usually only 3 or 6 bottles available. And so if you end up being number 7, like I was last year, you likely won’t get a hold of the most sought after bottles.

Now, I don’t care that I won’t get my hands on the DRC Romanee-Conti, because let’s be honest, that was never the plan. But I am curious to see what happens the next 16 days.

What number will I be in the queue when I finally get there?

What will happen to the kingdom now that the 6 first guys are different from the usual 6 veterans that occupy the firs spots?

Will there be more women at the 2023 Burgundslipp?

How many will there be by 9:59 am Thursday January 9th?

Stay tuned!

Uh Oh

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Good news for those who show up at 8:50 on Thursday. Aker Brygge is enforcing a new rule: maximum 12 quoted wines per customer. I’m guessing the people who have slept outside for the past 2 weeks are less than happy….

Is it fair to change the rules meere days before the release?

Last year, there was no maximum number of wines per customer, so as long as you adhered to the quota per wine, you could buy as much wine as you want. So it would be beneficial to sleep outside for days on end.

Any change is difficult. This change might piss a lot of people off. And make a lot of other people happy. Are they trying to make these rare wines available to more people? Or are they trying to get rid of the people sleeping outside for weeks at a time? Maybe those who spent 3 weeks vacation would have prioritized differently. I am excited to hear what Vinmonopolet has to say about it…

Btw, you’ll find the list here.

Gaia Gaja @ Vinoteket

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Vinoteket, a hot new meeting place for wine enthusiast, recently hosted Gaia Gaja for a winetasting. Clearly, I was in attendance. Although I have tried quite a few of the wines from Gaja, I have never been to the winery.
All in all we tasted 5 different wines, 3 from Piemonte and 2 from Tuscany (who knew!).

Gaja has recently started a new project in Tuscany, and at the tasting Gaia showed us two of the wines from there. First, the Camarcanda, which is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. A simple, but structured wine from a flat area with limestone soil.

Bolgheri is a simple beauty

Gaia Gaja

The second wine from Tuscany is the Brunello di Montalcino, the “brown grape” from Montalcino. With 100% sangiovese, a Brunello can be very tannic if made “poorly”. Gaja brought the Brunello from 2014, a difficult vintage, but a vintage that resulted in lower tannins and good acidity.

Wines from Piemonte

From Piemonte, we tried Conteisa, Spress and Sori Tildin. Conteisa, where the grapes are from La Morra, was more elegant and fruity than Sperss, where the grapes are from Serralunga. Both balanced wines with good structure and good acidity. Compared to the wines from Tuscany, Gaia feels like the nebbiolo wines are less persistent, more quiet.

Nebbiolo allows the vintage to be in front

Gaia Gaja

Sori Tildin comes from a vineyard planted veritcally (very unusual) which allows for a higher density of vines. Located on the top of the hill, southfacing on dense soil means the wine is very concentrated. Rich, dark fruits with a hint of mineralism.

Gaja on climate change & biodiversity

Although she spoke a lot about the wines, she also spend a significant amount of time on the topics climate change and biodiversity. Climate change has become an issue in the vineyards, as the weather is even more unpredictable than normal, making the work in the vineyards more and more difficult. A proposed solution to this problem is more biodiversity.

If you look out into the landscape in Piemonte, you’ll see miles and miles of vineyards as far as the eye can see. The problem with this “mono agriculture” is a lack of biodiversity. Despite protests from Angelo Gaja, they decided to hire consultants to help. Bee keeping, different types of herbal essence, leaving the grass growing, planting trees – all of these ideas are meant to encourage biodiversity.

A truly interesting woman, who comes from a winery with an incredible history! If I were to describe Gaia in 3 words:
Passionate
Fierce
Intelligent

My 48 hour Burgund Slipp Adventure

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It’s the middle of the night.
It’s cold.
It’s dark.
I’m lying on a cot on the street in Oslo, next to 5 men, and I’m thinking to myself: What on earth am I doing?

That is an excellent question. What am I doing?

I’ll tell you. I am waiting in line to get my hands on some of the rarest wine in the world. Every year, the Norwegian Vinmonopol releases the new vintage of burgundy wines, and if you want the best, the rarest and most expensive, you need to wait in line.

Now, let me be clear: I am not lying in the cold, dark, Norwegian winter next to 5 strange men to buy the Romanee-Conti from DRC. Partly because I’m too late, as number 16, but mostly because that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to experience a phenomenon native to Norway. The intricate brotherhood of the Burgund Slipp Kingdom.

I don’t think I know how to begin explaining this. I feel like I’ve entered another world where they have their own rules, routines and etiquette’s. Some of the rules are:
– No pictures
– No personal questions
– You’re supposed to put a symbolic placeholder in queue next to the entrance
– The last person in the queue is in a way responsible to inform the next person who arrives which number is next in line.
– You can leave for a while to eat, shower, go to the bathroom but there is a time limit.

These rules and norms are formed by what I call the Brotherhood. The veterans. The, let’s face it, boy’s club, that runs the Burgund Slipp. They have a big tent, where they spend days planning their “shopping list” and strategize for the big day. The list of wines circulates among them, they scribble and take notes, discuss and then do it all over again the next day. Until the big day arrives.

I sit on my cot, under my tarp, hiding from the snow and wind, while trying to absorb all the activities happening around me. I’m on the outside, looking in. At least for now.

Upcoming Wine Events

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New year, new wine tasting possibilities!!

Here are some of the wine events and tastings coming up:

Tre Bicchieri

Every year Gambero Rosso has a Tre Bicchieri tour where they feature the wines that have received the “3 glass rating”.

Here are the dates and locations:
Munich – January 21st
Stockholm – January 28th
New York – March 1st
London – March 26th
Bordeaux – May 15th

La Festa del Barolo

Have you ever had the pleasure of going to Galloni’s event in NYC? No? Me neither… But I hear it’s pretty spectacular. Over a few days you can attend master classes where many of the best producers from Barolo talk about the newest vintage. There is also a dinner – often held at Del Posto, which has to be one of my favorite restaurants!

When: January 31st – February 2nd
Where: New York City
To read more, check out Vinous.

Prowein

I have never been to Prowein, but I imagine it is very similar to Vinitaly. I won’t make it to this one, because I am celebrating my birthday the following weekend, but hopefully one day I’ll get to go!

When: March 17th – March 19th
Where: Dusseldorf, Germany
Check out the Prowein website for more information.

Vinitaly

This has got to be one of my favorite wine events ever. I have never seen so many wines (or people) at the same time. I was only there for one day, and I didn’t even get to see all the producers from Piemonte that I wanted to… If you go, you should have a game plan! I can’t make it this year, but you can read about my Vinitaly experience here.

When: April 7th to April 10th
Where: Verona, Italy
Check out their website for more information.

Baroliadi 2018

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Baroliadi-Team.jpg

This summer I was able to join the La Morra team in their annual competition: Baroliadi!

Picture a sort of Olympics/triathlon with games centering around wine. Sounds like a recipe for success right?! Well it was!

There were 4 different games. First there was the egg toss, where you had to catch an egg in a bag held by two contestants. Second, there was the sack race where you had to carry a bottle during the course and hand it to a team mate. Third you had to slide on a tube while carrying a ball (to make it more difficult I imagine). And lastly, there was the Barrique race. The race starts with chugging a bottle of wine (because why the hell not). Then you have to roll the barrique through a course like a relay race, handing it off to team members along the way. And if you wall, 1 second is added to the time.

It was quite the day! Every year is different, because the host town changes. The only consistency is the barrique relay race. And the party at the end of course.

Oh, and La Morra won. Just FYI.

Baroliadi victorious

 

 

 

What were the favorite wines?

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In a weekend with A LOT of good wines, there are bound to be a few favorites! I enjoyed most of the wines, but like always there are ones you love and ones you maybe don’t like as much. For me round 4, the last round, was the best one. The Veglio 1997 and Altare 1996 were by far my favorite – we all know how I LOVE old barolo!

Barolo Night Oslo 2

Picture from Barolo Night Oslo

In case you missed it, here are the tasting notes for all the wines in each round.

Round 1: Gianni Voerzio la serra 1998, Massolino Margheria 2008 and Renato Corino Arborina 2014

Round 2: Altare Barolo 1993, Aldo Conterno Barolo 2006, Gianni Voerzio la serra 1999

Round 3: Renato Ratti Rocche dell’Annunziata 2011, Mauro Veglio Gattera 2006 and Burzi Capalot 2013

Round 4: Mauro Veglio Rocche 1997 and Altare Unknown 1996

Barolo Night 3.0 Round 4

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Did we subconsciously save the best for last?

barolo night sthlm round 4

Mauro Veglio Rocche 1997

Color was dark brown, rusty. On the nose there were notes of toffee, sweet and some fruit This wine tasted a little strange to me, not quite sure what it was. For most of the other wine tasters it was fantastic.

Altare 1996

Rusty color, evident it was old. On the nose there were hints of mushroom, earth and forest. The taste was absolute heaven! Most likely a barolo, as you can see from the label but not 100% sure.