On Saturday, the closed old casino in Malmö opened its doors for the premiere of the wine festival The Pour. 700 tickets sold out, gathering wine enthusiasts and amateurs of all ages. Organizer Arvid Falk aims to make wine experiences less intimidating and more accessible.
The old casino in Malmö, now being prepared to become an art museum, temporarily transformed into a wine experience. Gone were the croupier tables and slot machines; instead, the wine-red carpet was filled with bars where visitors could sample wines from various dealers and producers.
The Pour festival is a new initiative by Arvid Falk of Bise, aiming to attract a broad audience from 25-year-olds to 80-year-olds. "We want to make wine less scary. I'm a wine nerd and often people say wine is so mysterious and dangerous. We want to get rid of that," Falk says.
Visitors shared their observations on wine trends. Lina Biörsmark, celebrating a birthday with friends, noted that the natural wine trend seems to be declining. "That's good because I'm tired of it," she said. Christian Swanson and Mikael Edmundsson felt the natural wine trend has broadened and appreciated the smaller, enthusiastic wine dealers.
Robert Fredh from Pompette recommended wines from Savoie in the French Alps and pointed to a return to classic wines amid the recession. Kristina Strutz, who gave her husband the festival as a Christmas gift, believed celebrity wines have lost popularity and that they were mainly there to learn more.
Arvid Falk highlighted fun trends like Bordeaux's comeback after high prices and disinterest, white wines from Catalonia's Penedès and southwest France. He found it strange that cloudy, experimental wines are declining due to the economy, as people seek classic and reliable options. Among boring trends, he mentioned the sale of poor wine with chemicals and sugar, criticizing Systembolaget's purchases for not prioritizing sustainability.
The event created a lively atmosphere where young and old mingled and explored the world of wine.
