Yes, I did a double-take when reading that headline too. Scandinavian wine? That's aquavit, isn't it? But no, an enterprising Swede, Britt Karlsson, is putting together a wine fair in Paris on Saturday 7 February 2004 concentrating on more than 100 wines and brandies made by 22 Scandinavian producers.

The participants come from all four Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. The wines available for tasting are made in ten different countries: Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the US. They get about, these Nordic blondes.

Oh, and there will also be the odd wine made in Denmark and in Sweden (so that's two more entries in the next edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine). The wine fair is organised by WineTastings Britt Karlsson in collaboration with the Swedish Club in Paris.

The Scandinavian Wine Fair, open to both professionals and public, takes place 11.00-18.00 on Sat, Feb 7 at the Swedish Club, 242 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris overlooking the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. The wine fair is organised by WineTastings Britt Karlsson in collaboration with the Swedish Club in Paris.

That evening there's a wine producer dinner, also open to the public. Dinner reservations (compulsory) via the Swedish Club, by Feb 4, on +33 1 42 60 76 67.

After all, in France, if there's no meal involved, it hasn't happened.

And here's a report on the event from the organiser:

The Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris, a rather 'unusual' event, took place in Paris this past week-end and was a great success. A large number of visitors showed up; both Scandinavian, French and international press, French wine professionals and 'amateur' wine lovers in Paris.

The fair welcomed some 350 visitors; most of them non-professional wine lovers but a quarter of the visitors was professionals: sommeliers (e.g. Alain Margeon, chef-sommelier of the Alain Ducasse Group, France's biggest 3-star restaurant empire, responsible for the wine selection in 21 top restaurants), restaurateurs, journalists (press, radio and TV), importers etc.

The 37 Scandinavian producers had many a Frenchman lift a surprised and doubtful eyebrow, but when they tasted the 'Scandinavian' beverages on tasting it often turned into an appreciative smile. And many of the Scandinavian visitors discovered that there were a lot of compatriots who made very good wines.

Most of the people at the fair came from Paris, of course, but some distant visitors had chosen the wine fair as an occasion to make a week-end trip to Paris to visit the wine fair event and maybe to go to some interesting Paris exhibition.

Britt Karlsson, founder of WineTastings Britt Karlsson, who organised the Wine Fair in collaboration with the Swedish Club, concludes: "I am really very, very happy with the outcome. It was a wonderful occasion to meet with all these fellow Scandinavians with international wine careers and I feel like they are already old friends. It was great to have so many visitors to the event and that there was already before the event such a buzz around it both from Scandinavian, international and even French wine press and wine
professionals. All the exhibitors were really happy with the Fair. Several have already asked 'So when's the next time?' Well, maybe in two years' time..."

Facts:
- The Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris on February 7, organised by
WineTastings Britt Karlsson
- 37 Scandinavian wine and cognac producers: 13 Danish, 6 Norwegian, 17 Swedish, and 1 Finnish
- Wines from 8 countries were presented: Sweden, Denmark, France,
Bulgaria, Italy, USA, Spain and Portugal
- 350 visitors came to the fair
- The complete list of exhibitors and wines can be found here:
http://www.bkwine.com/winefair/winefair.htm :