Getting a listing in Vinmonopolet, the Norwegian alcohol monopoly, is so difficult that many wine producers have nicknamed Norway the “no way” market. But, says Marius Odland, there are several ways to enter the market, not all of which are obvious.
Odland has a deep understanding of his home market. He began his career as a publisher of lifestyle magazines, before founding the magazine Vin Brennevin (Wine & Spirits) in 2009. Since 2016, he’s also been a wine importer; in 2017 he became the Portfolio Manager of importer Nordic Wine, Beer & Spirits.
In November 2022, he headed to Verona to participate in Wine2Wine, the business forum. There, he participated in the panel on the Scandinavian and Nordic markets, ably moderated by Swedish journalist Asa Johansson.
Inside the Norwegian wine market
“In Norway, the importer has all the responsibility to import the wine and to keep it in stock,” said Odland. “We own all the goods. The monopoly, on the other side, decides what to buy for tenders.”
Six tenders a year
Vinmonopolet launches new products six times a year, focusing on a particular region or style each time. Prior to the launches, they publish tenders, outlining exactly what they’re looking for, and calling for samples.
Tenders, said Odland, have to be taken seriously, particularly when it comes to finding an importer. “It’s difficult for you as a producer to approach us with your wine unless there is a tender,” he said, suggesting that producers should follow the tender lists carefully and keep up to date with what the monopoly is looking for. “The tenders are very specific, and there is a possibility that the tender will fit your wine production at some point.”
In other words, a producer whose wines are a perfect fit for an upcoming tender, should take the opportunity to introduce themselves to a Norwegian importer.
Importers also keep an eye on the tenders, and will go looking for relevant products that fit Vinmonopolet’s specifications.
Many monopoly fairs
There is also another way to enter the Norwegian market, said Odland: participate in one of the 60 or 70 monopoly fairs. “These are arranged all over the country, every year,” he said. “We can invite all the monopoly shops to come to us to taste our wine.”
Each of Norway’s 340 wine stores has some discretion about what to list. “Each store can choose a wine to put in that particular store that will not be in other monopoly stores,” said Odland, adding that individual stores could hold as much as 20% unique stock. As the stores are of different sizes, some stores have considerable capacity to take on new wines. “It’s a big opportunity to build your brand without tenders.”
Online listing
Another possibility is listing a wine for sale in Vinmonopolet’s online system; although this doesn’t mean the products are always available in store, Norwegian customers are able to order tem off the internet.
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