The History of Kjær & Sommerfeldt

Historical Highlights

Kjær & Sommerfeldt began its journey in the Copenhagen district of Christianshavn, where Strandgade 28 became the setting for the company’s very first wine shop.

All signs suggest that Kjær & Sommerfeldt was a tremendous success from the very beginning. History tells of frequent address changes, driven by the significant space requirements of a wine business. Back in the 1800s – and well into the 1900s, for that matter – it wasn’t just about storing bottles; there also had to be room for the barrels in which wine was delivered. Wine was treated and bottled in-house, so selling wine required real expertise.

In 1897, the company faced a turning point when the last of the two founders passed away. Luckily, wholesaler Kjær had a son, Erik Kjær, who had a strong business acumen and had joined the company three years prior to his father's death. It is fair to say that Erik Kjær was the man who truly built the values that still define Kjær & Sommerfeldt today.

At the time, the classic Bordeaux districts dominated the wine selection, with names like Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, and Sauternes topping the list – although Burgundy, particularly Pommard, was also represented.

King Christian IX of Denmark was so fond of Kjær & Sommerfeldt’s wines that, in 1901, he granted the company the title of Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court. The appointment followed a formal application in which Erik Kjær expressed himself with refined courtesy:
"For the past seven years, Kjær & Sommerfeldt has had the honor of supplying wine in very significant quantities to Your Majesty’s household, and we flatter ourselves that the repeated orders may serve as confirmation of Your satisfaction."

Under Erik Kjær’s leadership, space requirements continued to grow, and it became imperative to find a long-term solution. In 1919, Erik Kjær made perhaps the company's most important decision: he acquired a larger nearby property located on Gammel Mønt. Kjær & Sommerfeldt’s Copenhagen store opened there in 1928 – and remains there to this day. Today, Gammel Mønt is much more than a shop – it’s a hub for wine experiences. More than 300 tastings and events are held there each year in Copenhagen alone.

Erik Kjær led the company until his death in 1957 – a full 60 years. He was succeeded by wholesaler Torben Ingemann, who led the company until his death in 1969. It was Ingemann who shaped the company’s approach to personnel management, fostering exceptional employee loyalty and a strong team spirit that made Kjær & Sommerfeldt a highly respected workplace.

In 1969, the “old era” effectively ended with Ingemann’s death and no natural successor in place. A new chapter began when Torben Kargaard Poulsen became managing director, and Erik Kjær’s widow, Camilla Kjær, decided to find a larger wine company to take over the firm. In 1973, the choice fell on Vingaarden A/S, which was later acquired by Carlsberg in 1988. That acquisition – and a later resale to a large foreign corporation – left a noticeable mark on Kjær & Sommerfeldt.

By 2008, Kjær & Sommerfeldt had grown weary, caught in an unfortunate cocktail of globalization and aggressive business restructuring that overlooked the company’s core values. As Søren Kierkegaard might have put it, it was a “Sickness unto Death” – a loss of belief in itself and its future. But 2008 also marked the scene of a small revolution. The company was once again sold – but this time, not to a large corporation, but to a dedicated group of private individuals. People who dared to take on the challenge of revitalizing the proud yet struggling company – and who prioritized restoring its soul.

On September 15, 2008, Mads Stensgaard signed the purchase agreement, bringing Kjær & Sommerfeldt back into Danish hands. But no sooner had he left the law office than the radio announced that the international banking and finance giant Lehman Brothers had collapsed. The financial crisis had begun. The contrast between the joy of taking ownership of a historic wine company and the brutal reality of a global crisis could hardly have been greater. It was the start of a challenging journey that demanded nerves of steel – and faith in the business model.

Tradition and integrity became the foundation for a transformation focused not just on survival but on long-term growth. A clear strategy for the future was established, where the company’s values – trust, integrity, focus, passion, and dynamism – were turned into action. And they were. For the past 15 years, Kjær & Sommerfeldt has enjoyed continuous progress and now stands stronger than ever.