It seemed like an eccentric choice when members of the Carlsson family in southwest Sweden planted an organic vineyard in rural Sweden.
In 1946, the Carlsson family took over a small farm at Ästad, Halland, which featured a variety of crops and animals. In 1985, it was time for their son Rolf, together with his wife Ann-Catrine, to inherit the premises. Unfortunately, the profitability of small-scale agriculture had begun to decline at this time, making farming a challenging endeavor.
Ästad Vineyard and its Sinnenas Spa are located about half an hour inland from Varberg. It is a truly rural location, where there is not much else but forest, meadows, and a few farms. This part of the country has become a highly popular destination in recent years, featuring a winery, hotel, spa, and two restaurants. The finer of these, restaurant Äng, has been awarded a star in the Michelin Guide.
After working on the farm since childhood, the grandchildren Linda, Mattias, and Daniel took over Ästad Gård in 2010. Soon after that, Ästad returned to its roots as a place for agriculture once again. However, it has since been proven that grandson Daniel Carlsson was right when he acted on his dream of creating something unexpected in the countryside of southwest Sweden. About 30,000 vines of the Solaris grape are now grown on the premises.
We have made two visits to Ästad Vingård. One in a simpler room with a simpler dinner package, and the other in a superior room with a sauna and dinner at the Äng restaurant. The Sinnenas spa is truly an experience beyond the ordinary. It is likely one of the best spas to visit in Sweden.
With his siblings Linda and Mattias, Daniel has transformed his grandparents’ organic milk farm (which was among the first in the country) into Ästad Vingård, a spa and hotel with an organic certified vineyard and a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“We also have about a hundred vines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We are convinced that Solaris excels as a sparkling wine, and therefore, every step is tailored to create the best sparkling wine possible. The cultivation is organic, and our wines are sold only at Ästad Vingård,” says Daniel.
The best part of the experience at Sinnenas Spa is undoubtedly the outdoor sauna environment. This opportunity is only available until 6:00 PM, so please ensure you check in on time to participate in the experience. There is, for example, an underwater sauna, a sauna in a rapids, and several opportunities to take a cold bath in the various ponds. Compared to all other spas in Sweden, Ästad Vingård offers no equivalent outdoor experience, making it a great reason to visit.
“This is the kind of place that I love to visit when I’m travelling,” says Daniel. “I wanted to build that right here in my family home.”
The spa is a place for relaxation and new impressions. “We went to the neighboring nature reserve Åkulla Bokskogar, located around the vineyard, and brought home some nature. Authentic sounds have been recorded in the forests, and the unique scents, created together with fragrance experts, are inspired by nature reserves.”
The experience showers at Sinnenas Spa are also a very valuable experience. You lie down on your stomach and then choose between four different treatments, where water of varying temperatures and intensities sprays over your body. It is akin to a form of massage or tactile stimulation that is soothing and encourages continued use. Our last visit to Ästad included at least five times in the experience shower.
The Carlsson family tapped Copenhagen’s Norm Architects to design their hotel, Sjöparken, and Äng restaurant, both of which are understatedly Scandinavian delights. They planted their first grapes in 2011 and only reaped a good harvest seven years later.
“There are three restaurants at Ästad Vingård—the Smakbaren at Sinnenas Spa, Restaurant Logen, and our creative Restaurant ÄNG. We strive to always work with local ingredients and flavors from the region.”
It’s hard to find anything but less great about Sinnenas Spa. If you really try, the decor is not our favorite style. It has a distinctly French farmhouse feel, which we don’t think really aligns with the spa concept. On top of that, it’s a spa with a bar, and some people can definitely get over-invigorated when sitting at the bar with a few too many units of bubbly.
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“We live in hectic times,” says Daniel. “It felt special to work on something that can’t be rushed.”
Ästad Vingård is a Nordic Eco-labelled destination (the Svanen label). “Our vineyard cultivation is organic. Restaurant ÄNG (and its vegetable cultivation) holds a two-star KRAV label. The KRAV label signifies food produced without artificial chemical pesticides, ensuring good animal welfare, a reduced climate impact, increased biodiversity, and improved working conditions. We only buy green electricity. If you drive an electric vehicle, you can charge it at our charging stations.”
Sinnenas Spa is a complete spa experience that you really must visit at least once if you are interested in spas in Sweden. We thoroughly recommend the experience.
Organic Vineyard in Rural Sweden, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
All images © Ästad Vingård.