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In Focus

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Dark rum: taste, serving and a simple apple cocktail

Dark rum can taste very different from bottle to bottle. Here are some pointers for choosing a style, pairing it with dessert and making an apple variation of Old Fashioned.

Magnus Mixmaster · 3 min

In Focus

Dark beer belongs in summer too

Stout and porter aren't just for December. We show how dark beer can actually be summer's best drink – in the right glass, served at the right temperature, and paired with the right food.

Kristine Craft · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Piquette – the peasant wine's wild comeback

It was made from press remnants and drunk by working people in the vineyard. Now piquette is back – and the natural wine movement loves it. But what is actually in the glass?

Ingrid Importør · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Madeira on Ice – the Island Wine's Quiet Comeback

Dry Madeira is cool again – and in the summer heat it may be the world's most underrated aperitif. Here is everything you need to know about Sercial and Verdelho on ice, and why this Atlantic island wine deserves a spot in your fridge right now.

Ingrid Importør · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Amontillado – sherry's best-kept secret

It's neither dry like fino nor sweet like oloroso – amontillado lives at the intersection of two worlds, and that's precisely where the magic happens. Here's everything you need to know about sherry's most complex and underrated style.

Ole Sommelier · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

White port wine on ice – Portugal's forgotten summer drink

Along the Douro river, it's a matter of course. In Norway, it's almost unknown. White port wine on ice with tonic is perhaps the best aperitif of summer – and it's time we discovered it.

Ole Sommelier · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Ice-cold sherry – summer's best-kept aperitif tip

Dry sherry is the coldest, freshest, and most underrated aperitif choice you can make this summer. Fino and Manzanilla from Andalucía absolutely deserve a place in your fridge – here is everything you need to know.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Greek white grape varieties that suit the Norwegian summer

Assyrtiko, Malagousia, and Moschofilero are three Greek grape varieties that deserve a place at the Norwegian summer table. We dive into Greece's most exciting white wine regions and find out why they are made for seafood, grilled vegetables, and long summer evenings.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

A QUESTION FOR THE SHELF?Your buddy matches this week's stories with the shelves in your store.ASK KOMPISEN

In Focus

Mezcal on Ice – Smoke, Lime, and a Grill Night

Mezcal is not just tequila's smoky cousin – it is an entire world of artisanal agave culture that tastes surprisingly good on ice on a warm summer evening. Here is everything you need to master it.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

Friendship is like good wine — it gets better with time.

— PIETRO ARETINO

In Focus

Lambrusco – the bubble Italy never stopped loving

Light, chilled, and fizzy: Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna is the red summer sparkler that most Norwegians have yet to discover – but one that is perfect for barbecue evenings and warm summer nights.

Ingrid Importør · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Sweet Summer in the Glass – Dessert Wines You're Underestimating

From honey-blonde Sauternes to sparkling Moscato d'Asti and Norwegian berry liqueurs – dessert wine is the summer table idea most Norwegians are missing out on. Here's everything you need to know.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Vermouth is back – the forgotten star of the aperitif

It was forgotten behind the stronger bottles, dusty and overlooked. But vermouth is back – as a standalone drink over ice, as the soul of a Negroni, and as proof that the simplest things are often the very best.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

Did you know?

Munich's Oktoberfest originally celebrated a royal wedding in 1810, not beer.

In Focus

The Solera System: The Wine That Never Finishes

Imagine a glass carrying flavors from 1918, 1964, and last year – all at once. That is the magic of solera, and it is far more fascinating than most people realize.

Ole Sommelier · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

The code on the champagne bottle reveals everything

NM, RM, CM – three letters on the back of the bottle that tell you more about a champagne's soul than the price ever could. Here is the key to understanding them.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Petite Arvine – The Alps' Wildest White Wine

From steep terraces in Valais comes a white wine so mineral and salty that it almost tastes of mountains and sea at once. Meet Petite Arvine – the grape variety few know, but everyone should discover this spring.

Ingrid Importør · 7 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Sake on the Norwegian Table – This Spring's Most Unexpected Companion

Sake is no longer reserved for the sushi restaurant. This spring, the Japanese rice drink deserves a place alongside fresh fish, white asparagus, and herb-rich dishes – and at Vinmonopolet there is actually quite a lot to choose from.

Kristine Craft · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

There are no bad wines, only bad prices.

— ALEXANDRE DUMAS

In Focus

Slovenia – Spring's Most Underrated White Wine Country

While everyone else looks to France and Italy, Slovenia has quietly built some of Europe's most exciting white wines. Here are five reasons to discover this small wine country this spring.

Ingrid Importør · 6 min

In Focus

Cava: the smartest sparkling wine this Easter

Champagne is lovely, prosecco is easy – but cava is what we should really be toasting with this Easter. Here is everything you need to know about Spain's great sparkling wine secret.

Ingrid Importør · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Natural Wine for the Easter Table

Fresh, sparkling, and a little wild – natural wines with character and bubbling life are Easter's best surprise. Here are the bottles that actually pair with smoked salmon, lamb, and scrambled eggs at the cabin.

Ole Sommelier · 6 min

Vinmonopolet

In Focus

Spirits That Taste of Spring and Garden

Modern distillers are bottling the flavors of spring – through maceration, infusion, and botanicals. We show you four specific bottles that capture the season, and what to make with them.

Magnus Mixmaster · 7 min

Vinmonopolet