Oslo
Wine tasting in Oslo
In Oslo it costs less to learn about wine than to drink it. Two hours at a Vinmonopolet class, five wines and an expert to explain them, costs about the same as a bottle in a restaurant. These are the places to taste several wines in a row and leave knowing more.
13 November 20265 min read
Picolo Editorial
Picolo has a commercial partnership with Sommerro. The assessments in this article are our editors' own.
In short: wine tasting in Oslo
Vinmonopolet, Norway's state wine retailer, runs classes on Dronning Eufemias gate in Bjørvika: five wines in two hours, from 745 to 995 kroner. Wine bars such as Territoriet pour a wide range by the glass. To stay where wine is part of the house, Sommerro in Frogner is our first choice, with its brasserie Ekspedisjonshallen and a list the wine guide Star Wine List rates very highly.
Last checked: November 2026.
Vinmonopolet's classes in Bjørvika
Vinmonopolet has its own classroom at Dronning Eufemias gate 11, near the Opera House, with its entrance beside Kaffebrenneriet. Each class lasts two hours, starting at 17.30 or 18.00, with five wines and no more than 27 people. Prices run from 745 to 995 kroner.
Topics range from learning to taste to deep dives into red Bordeaux, Burgundy chardonnay and pinot noir, with classes on champagne, riesling and English wine too. Classes are taught in Norwegian, so ask before booking if you need English. You book on Vinmonopolet's website.
Glasses and flights in the wine bars
To taste without a lesson, choose a bar with a wide list by the glass. Territoriet in Grünerløkka has the widest in the city, according to Star Wine List, and Grand Café at the Grand Hotel draws on a cellar of around 16,000 bottles. See our full guide to Oslo wine bars.
Producer tastings
Several importers and bars host tastings with visiting winemakers, often midweek. The programme changes weekly, so check the VisitOSLO events calendar and the venues' own pages.
Stay at a hotel with a strong list
The easiest tasting ends in the lift. Sommerro in Frogner has its brasserie Ekspedisjonshallen and several restaurants under one roof, and the Grand Hotel has its cellar beneath Grand Café. From either, the tram takes you to Vinmonopolet's classroom in Bjørvika.
Picolo picks the hotel for you
Picolo is the hotel guest's best friend. We take on the role of guide and do the work before you book: we look at the hotels in the area, where they stand, what guests say and what is actually there. Then we choose the one hotel that suits this particular trip best. For a wine weekend in Oslo the choice fell on Sommerro, because you eat, taste and sleep in the same house, and guests rate it 9.6 out of 10 on Hotels.com. You can also book directly with Sommerro.
Our first choice in Oslo
Sommerro
Sommerro occupies the former headquarters of Oslo's electricity company at Solli plass in Frogner, a functionalist building from the 1930s. Picolo has stayed here many times, and the kitchens and the wine list at Ekspedisjonshallen are what bring us back. The house has seven restaurants and bars, from the brasserie beneath Per Krohg's mural to TAK Oslo on the roof. Jazz plays regularly in Ekspedisjonshallen, and on the roof is a heated pool looking out over the city and the fjord.
Frequently asked questions about wine tasting in Oslo
Where can you take a wine class in Oslo?
Vinmonopolet runs wine classes in its own classroom at Dronning Eufemias gate 11 in Bjørvika, near the Opera House. Each class lasts two hours, with five wines, and costs between 745 and 995 kroner. Classes are in Norwegian, so check before booking if you need English.
How much does wine tasting cost in Oslo?
A Vinmonopolet class costs between 745 and 995 kroner for two hours and five wines. In wine bars you pay by the glass, and prices are high because Norway taxes alcohol heavily. Producer tastings are listed by the hosts and in the VisitOSLO calendar, each with its own price.
Is wine expensive in Norway?
Yes. Norway taxes alcohol heavily, and wine to take away is sold only through Vinmonopolet, the state retailer. A glass in a bar typically costs about the same as a bottle in a French supermarket. Travellers arriving from abroad may bring in a duty-free allowance, which varies by type of drink.
Which Oslo hotels suit a wine weekend?
Sommerro in Frogner has its brasserie Ekspedisjonshallen, with a list Star Wine List rates very highly, and several restaurants under one roof. The Grand Hotel on Karl Johans gate has a cellar of around 16,000 bottles beneath Grand Café. Both suit a weekend where wine is the main reason for the trip.
Sources
Class times, prices and address come from Vinmonopolet's page on wine classes in Oslo. Details on the wine bars and the Ekspedisjonshallen list come from Star Wine List. Sommerro details draw on Picolo's own stays and the hotel's website. The photograph of the Opera House is by Nurtenge, via Wikimedia Commons. Hotel photographs are from Hotels.com (Expedia Group). Last checked November 2026.
Skål from Oslo
Picolo Editorial