Visiting a Tallinn Estonia Wine Museum

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It was by complete chance I found this amazing hidden gem, among the cobbled back streets of Toompea. That’s the upper part of Tallinn, Estonia. I had been walking around the streets searching for the lookout point over Old Town Tallinn that I had been told was up there. And that’s when I came across a simple sign that said “wine tasting and museum”. It was a little cold given that I was traveling in December, so I decided to give it a shot (or a glass).

Now when you first hear the name The Museum of the Estonian Drinks Culture you might have this vision of it just being a museum of people getting wasted in Estonia. I kinda had that brief momentary thought too. But turns out going here was probably one of the best decisions I made during my time in Tallinn, Estonia. I had just stumbled upon the best museum in Tallinn.

Tallinn, Estonia

Before we talk about the museum, I’ll give you a little history of Estonia. It’s relevant, I promise. Estonia only became fully independent in 1991 following it’s break from the Soviet Union. With a history much similar to neighboring country Latvia, Estonia had been back and forth with Soviet occupation. In the early 1940s the Soviets took over Estonia and began to deport anyone who they considered as influential and opposed to the Soviet government. This included a lot of high up business owners. They would be sent to Siberia from where many never returned.

Read more about the fast and affordable bus you can take from Riga to Tallinn.

So what has this got to do with wine?

Glad you asked! Well turns out this whole Soviet relationship was both the reason for the downfall of the original winery and also for the birth of this museum. The original owners were an Estonian, Paul Matiesen, and a Swiss gentleman, Arnold Luscher. The two started off in Moscow with their own vodka factory. But after the revolution they relocated to Tallinn, Estonia where Paul Matiesen was from. There they worked as importers of international liquors such as Johnnie Walker whiskey, and began producing spirits of their own for Martini & Rossi.

With some studying they learned to produce their own wine and juice and began running their successful company. They also added a third partner, Dimitri Matiesen (Paul’s nephew). Cut to the early 1940s and the impending Soviet occupation meant they had to stop their business. Luscher fled to Switzerland. Dimitri escaped to Sweden. And sadly Paul Matiesen took his own life to avoid being deported to Siberia.

Museum of the Estonian Drinks Culture

With this sad history, and the end of the once famous winery, you might wonder how I came across it. Well wine expert and sommelier Peke Eloranta was the one who was heavily involved in getting the company up and running again. And for showcasing the history of the winery in this museum, located in the winery cellar. Peke met with Dimitri Matiesen near the end of his life and was told the stories of the winery, and given access to all the artifacts. He told Matiesen he would start the company again, and has the museum now to honor the family that gave Estonia some of its best wines. The museum is therefore twofold: the history of the company Luscher & Matiesen, and to allow people to sample the wines. Such a unique opportunity as it’s usually one or the other.

How much does it cost?

The museum is rather cheap. It’s 4 EUR per person. But for 8 EUR you can have two tastings of wine along with your ticket. I chose to go for this option, even though I am not a big fan of wine. When in…Estonia, right?! If you’re interested in wine, or drinks or even just curious about this small museum I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you to go visit. The price is cheap enough, and it’s a great experience. Find the museum easily by clicking this link to Google Maps: Toom-Rüütli 10, 10130 Tallinn, Estonia.

A warm welcome in Tallinn, Estonia

As soon as I arrived I was greeted by Peke Eloranta, on the front desk (which is in this case essentially behind a bar). I thought he would serve me my samples and send me on my way to look around the museum. But instead he took the time to tell me the entire history of the winery, all the good and bad details of it’s illustrious past. Granted it was December and I was really one of the only visitors there at the time, but I really felt his passion for the winery.

He beamed as he told me about his experience opening the museum and getting the winery up and running again. He smiled warmly when recollecting his conversations with Dimitri Matiesen over his desire to re-establish the winery, and the museum. Speaking with Peke was what really made the museum a wonderful experience for me. He was very genuine despite me hearing him give a lot of the same information to someone else just as I entered. I didn’t feel rushed to move onto the museum.

Wine tasting in Tallinn

As a non wine drinker I was fully prepared to have to don a fake smile as I sampled the winery’s pride and joy. Here I was being poured a glass of dry white wine by the sommelier himself, the owner of the business. What if I didn’t like it? Well, that wasn’t a problem. What a delicious tasting wine. I tried not to guzzle it down, and instead did all the things I thought I should when tasting wine: smelling it, swilling it around the glass. I’m a beer drinker though, so it’s hard to sip and appreciate a drink like a fine wine.

The dry white was deliciously light with hints of apple. Then the dessert wine was a little sweeter, with some rhubarb flavors. Similar in terms to ice wine if you are familiar with that, a Canadian specialty. Since Estonia is a colder country, the types of wines they can produce differ from more typical wines.

Remember to take a reusable water bottle with you on your travels, like this one from FastTech

The wine cellar

After my tasting, I was directed to take the stairs into the ominously dark wine cellar below. The basement is about 800 years old, but a fire in the 17th Century ravaged the main building so the rest of it was rebuilt after that. The beautifully laid out cellar has some of the historic photos from the winery’s heyday on the walls, and wine bottles and corks decorate the space. For a building that originally burned down the amount of candles in this space was perhaps a little questionable. But it makes everything look really nice and gives it an antiquated feel.

This is the main part of the museum, and it’s more about the pictures and artifacts than anything else. The space is not large. One main room and two smaller side rooms. There isn’t a lot of written information, it is mostly pictures and displays. But the thought has gone into displaying such wonderful reminders of Tallinn’s wine history. The smell of burning candle wax and some old music playing in the background makes the cellar feel warmer than it should be.

The letters of the museum

As I mentioned above, back in the day Luscher & Matiesen were big into importing liquors from around the world into Estonia. When Dimitri found himself in Sweden without a job or any other means of income, he reached out to the larger companies he had worked with in the hopes of gaining employment.

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You can see his letters and the replies to the letters from both Johnnie Walker whiskey and Martini & Rossi. Unfortunately they weren’t able to help him, but the letters serve as a reminder of the close relationship with some of the big names in the alcohol industry.

Whatever happened to Dimitri Matiesen

Back in 2009 when Peke Eloranta decided he would start up the company again, he talked about his vision with Matiesen. But what had Matiesen been doing for all this time? After he fled to Sweden, he was left with nothing. No business, no partners, and worst of all no money. Peke recounted the history of the company when I first walked in. And during that time he told me of Dimitri’s attempts to reach out to Johnnie Walker etc. for a job. When that didn’t work out, he was really down on his luck.

Completely by chance he bumped into someone who had also fled to Sweden and who happened to owe him a debt. The man was now wealthy enough to be able to pay it back, and the biggest coincidence in the world helped Dimitri out. He was then able to start his own juice business in Sweden which became a huge success.

How long should I spend in the museum?

The museum itself is not too big. If you enjoy looking at the old photographs and historical souvenirs in the cellar then you can certainly spend about half an hour. Although the real charm of this place is in hearing the stories and the wine tasting itself. So make sure to spend the extra few Euros and sample some of the delicious drink. I was probably there about 45 minutes in total. And while there are a lot of other museums to spend time in around Tallinn, this is the one I enjoyed the most.

Should I go to the Museum of the Estonian Drinks Culture?

Yes, of course. It’s a unique look into Estonia’s history. I had no idea the country was so into wine. With the Russian influence in Estonia, I expected it all to be vodka. Potatoes equal vodka. Where were they going to grow grapes for wine when the country has such cold winters? But I was pleasantly surprised by this museum and would like to go back. Maybe even buy a bottle or two of wine. Damn you luggage allowances! But don’t just take my word for it. Visit this quaint little museum next time you’re in Tallinn, Estonia and sample some of the finest Estonian wines.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to this museum in Tallinn Estonia? Did you try Estonian wine? What did you think of it?