The wine market in Finland is largely dominated by the government-controlled alcohol monopoly Alko. Even though Alko does not control wine imports, they do set the tone for what’s hot and what’s not. Importers have two major channels to sell wine: Alko or the on-trade. The on-trade offers various possibilities for importers, but the trenches are deep and the competition is fierce. For most importers, filling Alko’s shelves is the golden ticket. However, Alko is all about steady and reliable supply and numbers, backed by a bureaucracy beyond belief – a combination that most smaller importers struggle with. For them, the on-trade is a better route to market.
Importers vary in size, volume, and visibility. Many of the bigger wine importers in Finland work with a large portfolio of spirits as well. Quite a few of the top importers belong to a larger pan-Nordic parent company that provides a large network of experience throughout the different monopoly markets. Each of the monopoly markets in Finland, Sweden, and Norway has specific nuances which might seem impossible to crack from outside, so importing companies sometimes band together in the hopes of finding strength in numbers.
From state-owned corporations and private family companies to colossal international powerhouses, here are the importers that keep the wine flowing in Finland.
Altia
Finnish state-owned corporation Altia has roots that predate the prohibition era and is a significant part of the evolution of Finland’s alcohol beverage culture. In 1999, the Finnish alcohol retail monopoly Alko Oy left the Alko-Yhtiöt Group, while the rest of the company regrouped under a new banner – Altia Oyj. Today, Altia produces, markets, sells, imports, and exports alcoholic beverages throughout the Nordic and Baltic countries. Altia works with major wine brands worldwide through its sales companies Alpha Beverages, Altia Finland, and Wennerco. Some brands include South African Distell Group Limited’s Two Oceans and Nederburg, Spanish cava producer Codorníu, and Grupo Peñaflor’s Finca Las Moras and Trapiche. They are also soon to work with Treasury Wine Estates. With net sales of €356.6m ($420m) in 2016 and approximately 800 employees, Altia is nothing short of a powerhouse.
Pernod Ricard Finland
Pernod Ricard is one of the world’s biggest wine and spirits companies, and they are influential in Finland. Today, Pernod Ricard Finland has 90 employees and represents approximately 400 different national and international alcohol products. Like many others, Pernod Ricard Finland is also riding the Chilean wine wave in Finland. In 2016, Viña San Pedro’s Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc came in at number eight on the list of bestselling brands in Alko, making it the most popular wine sold in the monopoly across Finland. In addition, Viña San Pedro’s Castillo de Molina is doing well on the Finnish market together with Spanish Campo Viejo and Jacob’s Creek from Australia.
Hartwa-Trade
Hartwa-Trade is part of Royal Unibrew-owned company Hartwall, a Finnish beverage dynasty founded in 1836. Hartwa-Trade itself was founded in 1962 and got involved with the import business in the late 1990s. Nowadays, Hartwa-Trade is one of the biggest wine importers in Finland. The selection covers guaranteed blockbusters such as the omnipresent J.P. Chenet and Spanish sparkling wine producer Freixenet. One of Hartwa-Trade’s key strengths lies with Hartwall’s logistic network that reaches across the country.
Beverage Partners Finland
Beverage Partners Finland belongs to Hans Just, one of the oldest Nordic wine and spirits companies, established in Denmark in 1867. Their subsidiary, Beverage Partners Finland, was founded in 1999 and has since gained a strong foothold in Finland. Their experience in marketing is due to their solid spirits portfolio, which has helped them to become an important player in the wine scene as well. In Finland, they represent E & J Gallo, which is enough to put them on the list. Along with brands like Castellblanc, Undurraga, Laurent-Perrier, and many others, Beverage Partners Finland has created a solid reputation for itself.
Solera Finland
Solera Finland is a part of the pan-Nordic Solera Beverage Group and was established in 2006. The group has approximately 140 employees across the Nordic countries, 20 of whom are based in Finland. Solera Finland consists of three different companies: Stella Wines, Quantum Beverages, and V.A.L. Wineagents Ltd. They have managed to increase their volume from 1.1m L in 2008 to 6.5m L in 2015, which is not surprising, as the group is one of the fastest-growing wine and spirits companies in the Nordic countries. Solera Finland carries a wide variety of wine brands, including Accolade Wines’ Hardys, Italian wine company Orion Wines, and Patriarche Group’s popular bubbles such as Pol Rémy.
Servaali
Servaali is a large private importer of alcoholic beverages that belongs to the Finnish-owned Captol Invest. The company is based in Helsinki and has 50 employees in Finland and the Baltic countries. Wine and spirits often go hand in hand, but Servaali also boasts an impressive beer portfolio. Servaali works with many strong international wine brands, including Blue Nun wines from Langguth in the Mosel, Germany, which are extremely popular in Finland.
Winestate
The meteoric rise of Winestate in Finland is impressive, as it has become one of the country’s leading importers in just over ten years. What makes it even more impressive is that they have managed to do it without a spirits portfolio. Winestate, as the name suggests, works solely with wine, which is a rare concept among the bigger wine importers. The company’s CEO, Tuomas Meriluoto MW, also has the distinction of being one of only three Finnish Masters of Wine, underscoring the company’s vinous know-how. Winestate boasts a stellar portfolio of wine brands, including Cono Sur, Delicato Family Vineyards, Gérard Bertrand, Torres, and Masi.
Norex Selected Brands
Norex Selected Brands is an importing company specialising in wine and spirits. The company was established in 1981 and now has an impressive presence both in Alko and the on-trade. They also work closely with travel retail. Not only that, but the national airline Finnair and cruise ferries Viking Line and Tallink are among their roster. Norex Selected Brands’ portfolio includes Nicolas Feuillatte, Tosti, Wolfberger, and Parés Baltà.
Interbrands Wines & Spirits
The Finnish branch of Interbrands Wines & Spirits is small but efficient. It belongs to a group of companies that operate in the Nordic region covering Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Interbrands’ portfolio includes a wide variety of wines from several countries. Some of their biggest producers include Tommasi from Italy, Graham’s from Portugal, and Reh Kendermann (Black Tower) from Germany. Interbrands further extends its reach with three subsidiaries: Fine Brands, Red Bev and Nordalco. Fine Brands works together with well-known brands such as Antinori, Gaja, Duval-Leroy, and Perelada. Red Bev works with Château de Seguin, Domaine Fernand Engel, and Franck Millet. Nordalco’s wine list includes François Lurton, Jackson Estate, and Jean-Marc Brocard, among others.
VCT Finland
Sometimes you don’t need a big office and a huge staff to have a significant impact on the market, and VCT Finland is a good example of that. VCT Finland’s parent company, Concha y Toro, is one of the leading wine brands in the world, so the company’s success comes as no surprise. Luckily for them, Finland is crazy about Chilean wine, which is why VCT Finland is jumping off the charts. Finland’s VCT branch was founded in 2009 and now they are responsible for approximately 20% of the Chilean wine sold in Alko. With their so-called ‘hero brands’ such as Casillero del Diablo and Viña Maipo, VCT Finland is becoming a household name in the Finnish wine market.
About Alko
In 1914, Finland’s senate banned all sales of alcohol outside of top restaurants, causing a severe shortage of alcohol, as home distilling was banned. In 1919, full Prohibition was declared, covering the production, transportation, sale, and storage of alcohol, though the government created the Valtion Alkoholiliike - Statens Alkoholrörelse to provide alcohol for medical and scientific use. Not surprisingly, when citizens had a chance to vote on the matter in 1931, 70% of voters cast their ballot for the repeal of Prohibition. In 1932, the government-owned Oy Alkoholiliike Ab was given the exclusive right to import and sell alcohol, and 47 shops were opened. Over the years, the government experimented with many ways of controlling the flow of alcohol, from restricting how much could be bought from a particular shop, to encouraging the consumption of wine because of its lower alcohol. In 1999, Alko Oy became an independent retailer, owned by the state and administered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Today, Alko has close to 400 shops around Finland. FC
Noteworthy names
Arcus Finland
Arcus Finland is a branch of the Norwegian Arcus-Gruppen AS, a recognised wine and spirits company in the Nordics. They recently grew their wine portfolio by acquiring Finnish importing companies Social Wines, Vinum, and Wine World Finland. Keep an eye on this one.
Cisa Group
Cisa Group is a part of the Scandinavian VIVA Group, one of the largest wine importers in the Nordic countries. Their versatile and comprehensive portfolio includes everything from Drappier and Villa Caffaggio to Aresti Chile Wine.
Vindirekt
Vindirekt is all about high-quality producers. The company’s CEO, Jean-François Galtat, was born in Champagne but moved to Finland and established Vindirekt in 1998. Their wine list is loved by consumers and wine geeks alike.
Tampereen Viinitukku
Most Finnish wine importing companies are based in or around the country’s capital, Helsinki, with the notable exception of Tampereen Viinitukku, which is based in Pirkkala. In their portfolio, they carry classics such as Craggy Range from New Zealand, Sherry producer Lustau, Ceretto from Italy, and Champagne Deutz.
