Who makes it
Hartwall has been making beverages in Helsinki since 1836. For most of that history the company was a manufacturer of soft drinks, beer, cider, and the gin-grapefruit Long Drink that became Finland's most consumed mixed drink. The wine and aperitif portfolio arrived later, built through import contracts and, from 2025, through ownership of the production facilities in Turku that previously belonged to Pernod Ricard.
The Turku acquisition brought Minttu, Lapponia, a selection of berry and fruit wines, a range of glögi brands, and the Marinella and Caprice lines under Hartwall's ownership. Before 2025, Hartwall's role in these categories was as importer and distributor. Now it holds both the brands and the plant.
Where it grows
Hartwall operates from Helsinki, Finland's capital, with production now split between the main Helsinki facilities and the Turku plant inherited from Pernod Ricard. Finland has no wine-growing tradition and no appellation system for grape wines. The country's licensed beverage market, run through a state retail monopoly, shapes what producers bring to Finnish shelves: flavoured wines, fruit wines, vermouths, and aperitifs fill a category that in other Northern European markets would be occupied by regional wines. Hartwall holds Finland's largest wine import operation, distributing both its own brands and wines sourced from outside Finland.
How it is made
The cellar
Hartwall holds no vineyards and grows no grapes. The Turku facility, acquired in 2025, handles production of the flavoured wines, liqueurs, and aperitifs in the portfolio. Pre-acquisition, these products were made at the same Turku site under Pernod Ricard ownership, which had itself acquired the brands from Vin & Sprit in 2008. The production methods and sourcing for individual products in the range are not publicly detailed. Hartwall also imports still and sparkling wines from outside Finland for distribution under its importer role.
What they make
The range at Systembolaget centres on three categories: vermouth, flavoured wines, and aperitifs. Marezzo Extra Dry is a dry vermouth with a spicy, herb-driven character built on wormwood, orange peel, and almond paste, with low residual sweetness. Caprice Kir is a berry-forward flavoured wine with fresh blackcurrant and lingonberry alongside vanilla, carrying notable sweetness. Solbacka Körsbärsvin is a cherry fruit wine, very sweet and fresh, with a pronounced marzipan and vanilla character alongside the cherry. The Marinella range adds further aperitif and fruit-aperitif options. These are products designed for light, cold service rather than for ageing or food pairing in the classic wine-table sense.
Wines to try
First bottle
Caprice Kir is the bottle that shows what this range is built around. It is a flavoured wine, berry-forward and sweet, with blackcurrant and lingonberry as the main fruit notes and vanilla giving the mid-palate its soft character. The sweetness is prominent and the finish is fresh rather than cloying. Compared to Solbacka Körsbärsvin, which is heavier with cherry and marzipan, Caprice Kir reads lighter and more obviously fruit-driven, which is where the range's broadest appeal sits. Compared to Marezzo, it requires no cocktail context.