Dick Samuelsson - Renowned Wine Chemist

It all started in 1975 when I studied chemistry at Stockholm University and needed a summer job and ended up at Systembolaget's (Wine monopoly) store in Bollmora. Fun job that continued until 1979 when I got a job at the Vin & Spritcentralen's laboratory at the current Liljeholmskajen, Stockholm. From one monopoly to another. I stayed here for 17 instructive years in various positions. In connection with Sweden becoming a member of the EU, Vin & Sprit's import monopoly ended and a completely new market emerged with a number of companies that received import licenses. There was a large knowledge gap to be filled here. In that situation, I chose to leave Vin & Sprit and in 1996 started my consulting company Vinkällan Dick Samuelsson.

Britta - CEO of Scandinavian Wine Academy

When I met Dick, I was working as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm. Exciting but hard work. And it didn't get any less hard when I got the job as head of department with 90 employees. I managed it for a couple of years but wanted to try something new and ended up as a seller of healthcare products at Mölnlycke. A very stimulating and developing job where I learned a lot about sales and also some finance.

So, after a couple of years the idea struck me why not use my new skills team up with my husband Dick. Said and done!

Vinkällan Dryckesbildningar AB

In 1998 we converted Vinkällan Dick Samuelsson into Vinkällan Dryckesutbildningar AB with the aim of training sommeliers. We distribute the tasks in a logical way. Dick takes care of the education and Britta the rest, that is:
• marketing
• sales
• economy
• take care of everything during the lesson days with setting the table, pouring, washing up and cleaning.

Scandinavian Wine Academy

IAs a result of our international endeavours later on Vinkällan Dryckesutbildningar established Scandinavian Wine Academy, our international brand and name. Vinkällan Dryckesutbildningar in Sweden, Vinakademiet in Denmark and Scandinavian Wine Academy in the rest of the nordics and Europe. 

And so the journey begins...

In 1998 we started the first course for future sommeliers. The Sommelier Association in Sweden, which was founded in 1986, had a premises on Grevgatan in Stockholm that we could rent for the course days. There was what we needed. A rather cramped classroom with room for 30 students where we also held wine tastings, which of course was impractical as it meant a longer break for the students because the table had to be set and wine poured.

In a narrower part of the room was a table with coffee, fruit and sandwiches. For lunch it was a 10-minute walk to the restaurant Elverket on Linnégatan, where we could also have the first wine tasting of the day. Then back to Grevgatan for more lessons and a final wine tasting. At the end of the course day, wine tasting glasses and water glasses were to be washed in an ordinary dishwasher, where about 40 glasses went in. With the shortest washing program, the 130 wine tasting glasses and 32 water glasses were washed in two hours.

In the meantime, the dishwasher also served as an office table where Britta could handle parts of her job. Everything was really very primitive and took a lot of time, but the "Now we're in!" feeling was more important. The first sommeliers were examined in the spring of 1999. But, then we had moved to other premises.

Events during this period:

• We start sommelier training in Gothenburg

Copenhagen, Åland & Vaasa

Already during the first year of operation, we outgrew the premises on Grevgatan. The number of students increased and a larger and, above all, better adapted premises was required for our activities. In one of Blomsterfonden's houses at Ringvägen 101 we found what we were looking for. A larger venue that was admittedly in the basement, but let in good light. Here there was the possibility of having a classroom for 30 students, an office with space for 3 desks and a laundry room with space for a restaurant dishwasher. And, just as important, a wine tasting room. But what was also needed now was reinforcement on the personnel side to get a more active CEO, that is, Britta. .

As CEO, Britta now takes Vinkällan to new levels:

Events during this period:
• We start sommelier training in Malmö
• We run a sommelier training course on Åland, Finland
• Our daughter Maya Samuelsson takes the sommelier exam
• We run a sommelier training course in Vaasa, Finland
• We establish Vinkällan in Copenhagen under the name Vinakademiet.Thomas Ilkjaer will be/is responsible for the operations there.
• We become the sole supplier of sommelier training at Nores.

Silkeborg in Denmark

After nine years on the Ringvägen, it was time to move again. Britta had made contact with a high school that trained restaurant staff. They were based at Liljeholmskajen where they had modern training and office premises that we could rent. And, they were at ground level. Now we had "come up". But, what seemed so good soon turned out to be less good. Having sommelier training courses with wine tastings in premises where there were also high school students was not entirely successful.

Therefore, we started looking again for a place for the business, preferably on the south side of Stockholm..

Events during this period:

• Vinakademiet starts sommelier training in Silkeborg, just outside Aarhus, in Jutland
• Vinkällan's current principal, Erik Casterud, begins the sommelier training at the same time as Filip Samuelsson and they start as shared course majors. Erik then ventures into the restaurant industry with his new skills and Filip steps into the family business for two years full-time.

International release of DigWine & Sommelier Program in English

At Tellusborgsvägen 69 there was a property completely covered in scaffolding and cardboard. It had been exposed to a fire caused by a Thai restaurant with premises in the building. There we were offered to rent a completely "blown out" room. Well, what can we do with this one? Well, says the property owner, "tell me how you want it to look. Where will the classroom be located? How should the offices be located? Where should the kitchen and counter be? We fix air conditioning, etc." They simply wanted Vinkällan as tenants. We hit it off. We, that is, Britta, start structuring Vinkällan long-term and we hire those who today make up the employees today.

Events during this period:
• We start sommelier training in Sälen, alpine resort in Sweden
• Maya Samuelsson joins the family business full-time
• Maya Samuelsson wins "Lily of the Year" - a sommelier contest
• Maya Samuelsson takes the bronze medal in the Sommelier Championship three years in a row-
• We are starting a beer education
• Receives the award as "Company of the Year" at Nore's annual kickoff.
• We start sommelier training in Åre, another alpine resort in north of Sweden
• We participate in a Winemaker training course at Högberga Vingård.
• Vinkällan releases its first digital course, DigWine Intro.
• Dick and Britta are trying to retire, at least partially.
• Vinkällan releases Certified Sommelier Program Introductory digitally.
• Vinkällan releases Sake training digitally.

And here is Scandinavian Wine Academy today, a company with: 8 full-time employees in Sweden, all certified sommeliers. 3 full-time employees in Denmark. A dozen consulting educators in Sweden and Denmark. Two "retirees" who step in and out out of the business as they see fit.And, with stable economy.

Scandinavian Wine Academt runs like a train!