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Department of Geography
Master's project

Wine grapes in Norwegian agriculture

My master project is an exploratory study of the emerging possibility for a Norwegian wine industry due to climate change.

Vineyard in Norway
During my fieldwork period I traveled to five vineyards in Norway, all located in different places in the country.
Photo:
Katarzyna Sikorska

Main content

Climate change is perceived negatively in most cases, but the horticulture in Norway may experience a big boost due to longer growth seasons, higher temperatures and possibility to introduce new crops. Over the past decade, wine grapes have been introduced to Norwegian horticulture, and this study will explore the suitable regions for wine grape cultivation parallel with future climate scenarios for Norway.

The study will also include a discussion of the (maybe outdated) but profoundly used term in the wine world, terroir. This project is co-supervised by NIBIO Ullensvang.

Fieldwork

During my fieldwork period I traveled to five vineyards in Norway, all located in different places in the country. I interviewed vineyard owners about establishing a vineyard, agricultural practices, variety choice and future plans. I have later used the results from the interviews to analyse "what it takes" to have a successful vineyard in Norway, along with literature and also data from NIBIO.

Studying geography in Bergen

I am now on my fifth (and last) year studying geography in Bergen, and I have never regretted it.

The institute has great learning environment, and it has been a great mix of theory, practice, field work and both individual- and teamwork.

The city of Bergen itself is also great for geography lovers to explore when it comes to nature, city life and the great combination of both.

For the students who consider starting their master studies here - do it! You will have the time of your life.