Government to sanction selling of liqueurs at vineyards

Critics fear move will compromise Alko’s monopoly

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The government in Finland plans to allow domestic liqueurs to be purchased directly from the vineyards. An amendment to the law on alcohol is to be expected later this autumn.
      Until now, Finnish vineyards have only been allowed to retail the wines they produce.
      “That would be a long-awaited reform”, says entrepreneur Risto Hallman from the Alahovi Vineyard in Kuopio. Vineyard owners have pressed for the amendment for years.
     
The Alahovi Vineyard, which opened in 1995, is the oldest vineyard in Finland. Alahovi’s range of products includes eight different liqueurs.
      Visitors to the vineyard can have a taste of, say, the ever-popular blueberry liqueur, but according to the present law, purchasing a bottle directly from the producer is not possible.
      In Hallman’s view this is a real problem.
      “You feel like you’re making excuses, when you tell a busload of visitors to go to the nearest Alko outlet to buy our products. Especially when it comes to fortified wines it is particularly difficult for the customers to comprehend that they cannot buy the product here.”
      The Alahovi Vineyard receives around 10,000 visitors per year.
     
The Association for Healthy Lifestyles voiced its opinion against the government’s plan on Monday. “The government says it is concerned about the increased harm caused by intoxicants, and yet with the other hand it furthers the consumption”, says the Association’s chairwoman, MP Sirpa Paatero (SDP).
      Hallman chuckles at the claim that the amendment would increase alcohol-related detriments. A large portion of the visitors to the vineyard consists of pensioners and families with children.
      The production of domestic wines and liqueurs happens on such a small scale that “it does not have alcohol-political significance in Finland”, points out special researcher Kari Niilola, who has looked into the trade.
      According to the National Product Control Agency (STTV), Finnish vineyards produced 18,000 litres of liqueurs last year.
      Hallman estimates that selling liqueur directly from the vineyard would increase sales figures by 30 per cent, which, in turn, would help with the product development.
      Because of the amendment, Finland may end up in an EU court to defend Alko’s monopoly, “and it is not certain that it will hold there”, says Paatero.
      The government also plans to allow the soon-to-be established licensing and supervisory body to grant national licences for retail and serving of alcoholic beverages. Until now, only province-specific licences have been granted.
      The new body will be set up next year.
     
In Finland, the licence to produce wine has been granted to 70 vineyards, 45 of which are operating actively.
      At present, the vineyards are allowed to sell wines with a maximum alcohol content of 13 per cent. The alcohol content of liqueurs is around 20 per cent.
      Domestic liqueurs have to be ordered through Alko, the state-owned chain of liquor stores. Some of the labels belong to Alko’s permanent selection.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Sales of alcohol down by 3% in year to June (12.9.2008)
  Opposition in Parliament to Finnish vineyards (29.10.2007)

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