Jetsetter of the Month: Rosé Wine Expert Bodvar Hafström
For Bodvar Hafström, it was hard not to think about keeping up with history when he decided to go into the family business. For 160 years, his family has stuck to tradition, traveling the world in search of luxury alcoholic beverages and other goods. On his father’s side is the founder of Hafströms, one of the largest cigar brands in Sweden, while on his mother’s side are the creators of Grönstedts Cognac, which remains one of the world’s top brands. Bodvar’s lineage also includes the Lindqvist family, who imported exclusive wines in the 1800s.
It is the combination of these family connections that led Bodvar to his own boutique company, Bodvár of Sweden – House of Rosés, and the launch of his newest wine, Bodvár of Sweden No. 5 Rosé. Made with grapes from Côtes de Provence and St. Tropez, this wine follows Bodvar’s passion to collect the best Rosé wines under one brand and share them with the world.
Traveling is necessary, Bodvar says, in order to determine which Rosés are truly the most elite. In addition to Provence and St. Tropez, he also travels often throughout France and Italy as well as Malta, one of the oldest wine countries in the world. Future trips will take him to China, Singapore, Jakarta, and London.
One of Bodvar’s favorite places to visit is Thailand for the weather, the food, and the people’s general joy for life. “It’s a happy country, and I really enjoy being there because it fills you with energy,” he says. Brazil and southern Turkey are two other destinations Bodvar says are high on his favorites list.
The Sweden-based entrepreneur recommends those with a proximity to Europe take advantage of short, Thursday-through-Sunday trips to cities including Barcelona, London, Paris, and Rome. This, he says, is a great way to explore different cultures and backgrounds.
For longer trips, Bodvar raves about the Turkish city Istanbul, along with already mentioned favorites Thailand and Brazil. The United States is another destination he enjoys visiting; Bodvar says he takes delight in the fact he can be in snowy New York and then hop a short flight to Miami, where it could be 85 degrees and sunny.
Bodvar does not just place a great importance on being well traveled because of his love for Rosé. To him, travel is also essential because it allows people to develop an understanding of other cultures and view their own situation from a different angle. As Bodvar puts it, “Away, good; home, best.” In other words, to appreciate where you live it is important to gain some perspective—perhaps with a glass of fine Rosé in hand.
