Did you know that Poland has (nearly) always made wine?

300 producers/600 ha

Source: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/poland-wine-lovers

Monika Bielka-Vescovi introduces wine enthusiasts to her homeland.

History

Viticulture in Poland dates back to introduction of Christianity in 966. The first vineyards were located on Wawel Hill in Krakow. Polish viticulture was developed by monks and later became popular among Polish nobility.  By the end of the sixteenth century due to climate change (cold waves) and war as well as the rise in popularity of imported goods, including wine from warmer climates, wine production started to diminish. Communism eventually destroyed all that remained of wine production. 

The modern era of winemaking started in the 1980s with Roman Myśliwiec who planted his first experimental vineyard, and later started a nursery, in Jasło in the Subcarpathian region. In the harsher climatic conditions then prevailing, hybrids proved to be the most successful varieties.

It was not until late 1990s when vine growers started experimenting with Vitis vinifera varieties. Finding the right site, with enough warmth and sunshine as well as protection from winter freeze, is crucial for the success of Vitis vinifera in Poland. The first plantings of Pinot Noir in Silesia saw severe winter freeze damage and cast a shadow on the possibility of growing vinifera there. At the same time Agnieszka Wyrobek Rousseau, a flying winemaker, decided to settle back in her home country bringing a wealth of knowledge with her. She has planted 100% viniferas, choosing clones carefully, as well as the site for her biodynamic vineyard, the first in Poland, located on hills above Krakow, in Wieliczka (pictured above right). Soon Agnieszka became a consultant for many winemakers and thanks to her, as well UC Davis graduate Piotr Stopczyński, and many other brave producers, Polish winemaking started to flourish.

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Wieliczka

Outside of Wieliczka you will find the first and only Polish biodynamic winery Winnica Wieliczka, led by the most famous Polish winemaker Agnieszka Wyborek Rousseu and Piotr Jaskóła.

Agnieszka is a Polish rock star. In a cool climate she managed to plant vitis viniferas, and they are doing extremely well. Obvious cool climate players like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling are planted here. Agnieszka was also brave enough to plant Merlot in her vineyard (we are still in zone A for cool climate growing). She based clone choices on her New Zealand experience and the quality of this wine was a great surprise, although she did start producing red blends like Regis to get the most out of her red grape varieties.

Polish Wine From Winnica Wieliczka

Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska

Winnica Słońce i Wiatr, Winnica Kreasy and Winnca Goja are all possible destinations. Słońce i Wiar (Sun and  Wind) is an organic winery focused on hybrids and crossings. Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska with its outcrops of limestone is much cooler then hills above Krakow, hence classic cool climate viniferas are not doing as well here. Wines from here tend to show minerality with a salty aftertaste and higher acidity. Refreshing rosés and zesty whites are great choices in all of those wineries.

Silesia

If you want to venture further visit Silesia where you will find the amazing Winnica Jakubów with Poland’s most innovative winemakers Michał Pajdosz. and Winnica Wzgórz Trzebnickich. This is the home of the best Polish Pinot Noir. If you are lucky to get it, his Riesling Pet Nat will send a chill down your spine.

Lubuskie and West Pomeranian

You have a whole week? There are more vineyards for you to see around city of Zielona Góra, known for sparkling wine production. You may not be aware that one of the first German Sekts was made here in Grünberg (Zielona  Góra) at the Grempler & Co winery dated 1826. Two wineries Gostchorze and Winnica Miłosz, produce traditional method sparkling wines that are definitely worth trying.

About an hour away towards the Baltic Sea you could stop in Baniewice for the famous wines of Turnau. Try their late harvest and ice wines and you will be surprised. This is one of the most developed wineries in Poland by far with state-of-the-art winery equipment.

Winnica Turnau

It all began with Jerzy Turnau, who was a landowner and creator of agricultural education programs in the city of Lviv. History rendered the direct continuation of his work impossible, however one of his great-grandsons – Zbigniew Turnau – has run a sizable homestead for many years now, engaging in the cultivation of grains and rapeseed, and is assisted in this by his son Jacek. Its beneficial location, as well as a climate favorable to fruits, inevitably gave rise to the question: … perhaps wine?

This question was all the more logical, in view of the fact that one of the people with whom Zbigniew has worked for a number of years is orchardist Tomasz Kasicki, who – as of 2013 – is also an enologist.

Another one of Jerzy Turnau’s numerous descendants is Grzegorz, who happened to inherit his great-grandfather’s trait of artistic inclinations. The distant (geographically, as well as professionally) cousins were brought together many years ago by friendship, as well as a shared dream of returning to family traditions. One day, Zbigniew, Grzegorz, Tomasz and Jacek resolved to pool their energies in a combined effort, and thus the Turnau Vineyard came into being. Propagation, ongoing since 2010, and the renovation of a 19th-century farm building, made possible the creation of a modern vineyard with its own processing facilities. The fact that this is taking place in Poland – a country which isn’t necessarily associated with wine – induced the owners to seek support among more experienced vintners, and the invitation to cooperate with the Turnau Vineyard was accepted by Frank Faust – a renowned winemaker based in the Rhineland. 

The Turnau Vineyard is comprised of two parcels of land, totaling 28 hectares. They are planted mainly with strains of Solaris and Johanniter, but include Riesling, Hibernal, Seyval Blanc, Rondo, Regent and Cabernet as well. We also create ice wine with fruit frozen in winter, and in the near future Polish sparkling wine will become a part of our offer. A well-equipped processing facility, as well as our own laboratory, allow us to precisely monitor every parameter of our wine, at every stage of its production. The antique building of the winery also houses our offices, a wine-tasting/concert hall, and a shop with our wines.

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Additional article: Polish Wines – From Zero to Nearly Hero

The urban silhouette of Zielona Góra, around 450 km west of Warsaw, can be discerned through the glass of the Palm House overlooking the city. The glass pavilion full of exotic foliage and fish tanks stands in sharp contrast to the more traditional vines growing all around.

Many Poles are not aware of the strong resurgence of winemaking in their country over the past decade. Productivity is moving on the right track. “In the last decade vineyards have spread all over the country. There are hundreds of amateur plantations and ten official producers who sell their own wine,” explained Roman Myśliwiec, President of the Polish Vine and Wine Institute.

Roman planted his first vines behind his house near Jasło in southeastern Poland in 1982. Since then, he has never stopped expanding his knowledge of viticulture. At that time homemade fruit ‘wines’ and spirits fermented from leftover crops were the pinnacle of Polish oenology.

The Golesz Vineyard is set in a valley of the sub-Carpathian plateau, where wine production has been revived in the last two decades. Roman Myśliwiec, known as the ‘Bacchus from Jasło’ led the Polish wine renaissance with around one quarter of the vineyards in the Podkarpacie region. Speaking to Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, Marek Kamiński, president of the local association of winemakers, compared the Polish viticulture scene to that in England in the 1950s when vineyards were mostly run by well-off amateurs as a way of supplementing their incomes on Sundays.

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Sandomierz and Subcarpathian

Going east from Krakow you may want to visit the medieval city of Sandomierz with a warmer mesoclimate allowing for winemaking. Stop at Winnica Płochockich or, even better, book your night there as the winery has five delightful guest rooms. Be sure to taste their qvevri wine as they are the first to bring qvevri from Georgia to Poland.  At the end of your tasting ask for Rasins, sweet wine made by drying  grapes, in this case in the shed, a real jewel among sweet Polish wines.

Other great wineries to visit here are Winnica Nad Jarem, Modła and Nobilis, and Dom Bliskowice. You will also find wineries at the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in the Subcarpathian region known for harsher growing conditions. One of the best Polish reds comes from Rondo and Regent grown here. Try Winnica Spotkaniówka or Winnice Półtorak.

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The Trends and Prospects of Winemaking in Poland

20.07.2016
By Alina Kunicka-Styczyńska, Agata Czyżowska, Katarzyna Rajkowska, Agnieszka Wilkowska and Piotr Dziugan

Viticulture and winery origins in Poland date to the tenth century, but their tradition has been reborn in the last ten years, resulting in a development of small vineyards producing excellent wines not only for the local market. Due to the cold climate, usually short summers with moderate and low temperatures, the grapes are characterized by lower sugar content and higher acidity compared to those grown in the south of Europe. According to the European Union regulations, Poland was classified as the coldest wine-growing region (A) and officially acknowledged as a wine-producing country. The grapevine cultivars adopted to the harsh climatic conditions give the Polish grape wines some unique sensory features. The most popular varieties of grapes for the production of red wine are Regent, Rondo, Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Cabernet Cortis, Tryumf Alzacji, Cascade and Dornfelder. For white wine production, Solaris, Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Gris, Johanniter, Jutrzenka, Hibernal, Aurora, Bianka, Traminer, Jutrzenka and Siberia are mostly used in Poland. This chapter presents Polish grape winery with its specificity and prospects for the future. The traditional products of Polish fermentation industry, fruit wines and meads, are also mentioned.

However, Poland was not worldwide recognized as a wine-producing country, but the art of winemaking has been practiced there since the tenth century. Winery was introduced with Christianity and the first vineyards were cultivated by and wineries were established by Benedictine and Cistercian monks; however, wine was produced for religious purposes mainly. The fruitful time for the Polish winery was the fourteenth century, during which many wineries were operating mainly in Silesia, Zielona Góra, Poznań, Toruń, Płock, Sandomierz, Lublin and Kraków.

Intensive development of wine making was in the age of enlightenment, when the viticulture and wine production were carried out in the Podole. Besides Vitis vinifera, hybrid varieties resistant to adverse climatic conditions were grown. After World War II, according to the authorities, two wine-growing regions were designated: the West (Zielona Góra region and Lower Silesia) and the Central (along the Pilica river). Vineyards planted in the communistic economy, however, have begun to bear losses, and in the 1960s, it was focused on the production of fruit wines. The tradition of viticulture and winery has been reborn in the last ten years, resulting in development of small vineyards producing excellent wines for the local market. Poland is located in the zone of the continental climate, where there are also wine regions such as Burgundy and the Loire Valley, Rioja, Piedmont and most of the vineyards of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Romania. The climate in Poland is characterized by significant seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature with the potential problems of frost and hailstorms during winters and springs. Due to the cold climate, usually short summers with moderate and low temperatures, the grapes are characterized by lower sugars content and higher acidity comparing to these grown in the south of Europe. A wine zone, most suitable for the cultivation of vines, is located on the latitude between 32°00′ and 52°00′ northern hemisphere and between 28°00′ and 42°00′ southern hemisphere.

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Other

https://poland.pl/experience-poland/cuisine/until-recently-no-one-has-heard-polish-wine/

March 2018 – The Polish Pink Wine Revolution

15.05.2020 Where to try Polish Wines in Krakow?

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPeeUPqW1U
Is the Polish wine industry mature enough to survive COVID-19? While lockdown was “a struggle” for the industry, we have some good news. Watch our interview with Tomasz Prange-Barczynski, editor of Ferment wine magazine to find out more!

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In Polish:

Ale Wino
A Polish YouTube channel dedicated to reviewing vineyards and wines
from around the world

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyFiSo-OmayCe1-hvnMOPKg

Magazines

Czas Wina

http://www.czaswina.pl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/czaswinaPL/

„Czas Wina” to największy magazyn winiarski w Polsce. Ukazuje się od 2001 roku. Publikujemy też książki o winie (J. Robinson, M. Bardel, W. Gogoliński)./ “Czas Wina” is the largest wine magazine in Poland. It has been published since 2001. We also publish books on wine (J. Robinson, M. Bardel, W. Gogoliński).

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Winicjatywa

https://winicjatywa.pl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fermentpismo/

The most dynamic wine portal!

New articles every day, Reputable authors, Tasting calendar, Training, Wine and food …

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Individual vineyards

https://otovino.pl/en/
A listing of Polish vineyards, tour visits/times etc.

Wineries in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodship
https://www.swietokrzyskiewinnice.pl/

Winnice Avra, Szydlow, Swietokrzysie: https://www.winnicaavra.pl/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winnicaavra/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g6475471-d12077612-Reviews-Winnica_Avra-Szydlow_Swietokrzyskie_Province_Central_Poland.html

Sandomierz

The Sandomierz Wine Trail is one of the most important tourist attractions of the region. The trail, stretching along the hills and valleys of the Kielce-Sandomierska Upland, it not only provides an opportunity to take a break from the city hustle and bustle among the magnificent views and many interesting tourist attractions of the region, but above all, it allows visitors to experience the experience so far available only abroad. Tourists can visit vineyards and wine cellars, learn the secrets of viticulture and wine making, taste a total of several dozen wines, eat tasty snacks, and stay at the vineyard for some time. The route currently covers a dozen vineyards open to tourists, including 5 vineyards offering grape wine sales, some of them have overnight accommodation, and several others are preparing to receive guests. There are also several vineyards a little further from Sandomierz that are worth visiting. The loess soil of this region and its specific microclimate mean that the grapevines that grow here each year make it possible to produce wines with a rich note of aromas and flavors that will satisfy the palates of many wine lovers. As a result, the number of medals awarded to Sandomierz winemakers at many international wine competitions is increasing every year.

WITAMY NA SANDOMIERSKIM SZLAKU WINIARSKIM/WELCOME TO THE SANDOMIER WINE TRAIL
https://www.sandomierskiszlakwiniarski.pl/

Among the charming hills and valleys of the Sandomierz Uplands you will find vineyards associated with the Sandomierz Vineyards’ Association. The loess soil of this region and its specific microclimate mean that the grapevines that grow here each year make it possible to produce wines with a rich note of aromas and flavors that will satisfy the palate of many wine lovers. As a result, the number of medals awarded to Sandomierz winemakers at many international wine competitions is increasing every year.
But our vineyards are not only grapevines and wineries where tasting takes place. They are also places where it is worth staying for longer, resting and relaxing. Several vineyards offer enthusiasts the opportunity to stay overnight, and the combination of sunset and vineyard will remain in your memory for a long time.

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Winnica Sandomierska
https://winnicasandomierska.pl/

https://winnicaplochockich.pl/en/home-english/

There is a saying that “History often goes in circles”. That’s how it has been for us. When we were young, we both felt attached to agriculture even to the point of graduating from the Technical School of Horticulture and then further studies in Environmental Protection (Basia) and Agriculture (Marcin) which we pursued with passion and practice. However, over the following years, the practicalities of life dragged us away from our dreams until we were almost completely separated from them and the land.
After a number of years working in other fields of industry we still held a sentimental feeling for the land and cultivation and as our conditions improved we started to look around for a plot of land or small farm to buy. It happened suddenly one day that we met Roman Myśliwiec from Jasło – a doyen of the rebirth of wine-making in Lower Carpathian Province.
A month after our first meeting, in the Spring of 2002, we bought a few-acre farm in the village of Glinik Polski. At first, we only wanted to use the farm as recreation for the weekend with a small vineyard attached. But suddenly, after the first year of cultivation, the initial vision changed and started to transform into something much bigger.

Because of the long distance between the farm and our permanent home – more than 300 kms. – we decided to buy a second farm near Daromin in the district of Sandomierz in 2005.

In the same year, we started our current vineyard, an area of about 12 acres. Today, after twenty years of practice and many training trips abroad, we manage a professional, small family vineyard, in which every significant decision and operation belongs to us, the owners. Our Son, Piotr, is a graduate of University of Life Sciences, Department of Food Technology, and him and his wife, Katarzyna, show a keen interest in the subject of oenology and declare their willingness to link their future to the wine production.

In 2008, our vineyard was registered and, since then, our wines are available for sale.

Also, work started on the expansion of the buildings in Daromin. That meant creating a sufficiently large wine cellar, properly prepared for the production of high-quality wine and the construction of accompanying infrastructure.

At the moment, the vineyard has four double or twin rooms, a spacious family apartment for 4 persons, a large tasting room with sanitary facilities and a kitchenette.

Karpacki Szlak Wina/Carpathian Wine Trail

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