Probably, it was not only a surprise for me to be informed that Polish and Slovak wines are really good and that we have a good selection of wines from the winemakers who are incredibly involved in their difficult work. I am also curious how many of you knew about the existence of the Carpathian Wine Route and the fact that there are really good drinks in Podkarpacie?

Carpathian Wine Route

The Carpathian Wine Route is an agreement between twenty wineries from Poland and Slovakia, whose owners together with Stowarzyszeniem na Rzecz Rozwoju i Promocji Podkarpacia Pro Carpathia (the Association for the Development and Promotion of the Carpathia Pro-Carpathian Region) from Rzeszów decided to create it. This interesting agreement combines cultural tourism, a slow-life tourism and ethno-tourism. It is not only vineyards and enthusiasts, but also the gastronomic industry.

Polish wines

I have heard many times that Polish wine is tricks – for what reason, there are French, Hungarian not far away. That it does not make sense in our climate. And it turns out that it is not a temporary fashion, wine traditions in Podkarpacie date back to the 11th century. The production of wine was mainly done by religious, liturgical purposes, but also began to be used on a daily basis. Over time, it was supplanted by the Hungarian drinks, which were aging in the basements of Podkarpacie, while training oenologists from southern Poland to this level that the Hungarians themselves began to employ them in their vineyards.

Until 1984 came, when Roman Myśliwiec from Jasło founded the first contemporary Polish vineyard – Golesz. Currently, there are over 150 vineyards in the Podkarpacie region. They are run by people with passion and enthusiasm, because although the weather conditions in Poland are moremore beneficial for viticulture than ever before than centuries ago, it is still a hard work requiring a lot of knowledge, often acquired through attempts and mistakes. It was amazing to listen to the owners of the vineyards, how they talk about their wine, about the vineyards, there was a huge commitment. This fact also adds charm to the wine of Podkarpacie, thus gaining value.

Grape strains in Podkarpacie

An interesting fact is that among 150 vineyards you can not probably indicate two with the identical composition of cultivated grape strains. The most common varieties for white wines are Hibernal, Johanniter, Bianca, Aurora, Seyval Blanc, Solaris, Muskat Odeski and Jutrzenka. The varieties for red wines cultivated in the Podkarpacie region are primarily Regent, Rondo, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch and Frontenac, as well as Cabernets Dorsa and Cortis. Despite the unfavorable climatic conditions, sometimes wine makers also choose to grow grapevines at high risk, such as white Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, various varieties of Traminer or Veltlinner, and Riesling and Dornfelder.

Wine and vineyards in Podkarpacie

The Carpathian Wine Route currently has 20 vineyards: 19 from Podkarpacie and one Slovakian. I had an occasion to visit or taste the wines from Golesz Winery today run by his daughter Roman Myśliwiec, there again I found that I like pink wine, somehow underestimated, I had the opportunity to learn about the legend of Podkarpackie winemaking, Winery Dwie Granice, but also two vineyards, conducted since 2004 by Lidia and Marek Nowiński, Przeworsk Wineries, where Dariusz Rosół talked about wines, from which I brought white wine “Elżbieta” that smelled and tasted like spring and refreshment. Mazurak Vineyard in Błażowa, where 16 varieties of vine plants are grown, Vanellus Vineyard, as the name indicates to the Czajka (surname, in English lapwing), for me these were wines with interesting names and flavors. Winnica Zamkowa Vineyard, which lies on a very scenic hill, located near the famous castle, which inspired Fredro.

And also the Vineyard of the Stecki Family (Rodziny Steckich), in which Mr. Jerzy has 160 grape bushes, which he treats with great attention, he designs labels for wines himself, prints them and glues them, Winnica Wiarus, whose lovable owner charmed me – also about with a story – about wine with a familiar name “Zadymka” (Blizzard), which apparently comes to a nice blizzards, Winery Alabaster about which Zuzanna Jurkiewicz talked with passion and I visited Salon Win Karpackich (the Carpathian Wine Salon) in Dwór Kombornia, where the owner himself introduced us to the world of Carpathian wines, surprised me at least a few times, it was very educational adventure and certainly not my last visit in this place. We also went to Viničná hora a Gečová – Birko Winum, a family vineyard founded by Peter Mihalko in the wine region near Brekov in Slovakia.

What wines to try in Podkarpacie?

Przeworskie Winnice:

Paulina (2014) – silver medal, Galicja Vitis 2015
Paulina (2016) – silver medal, Winobranie Zielona Góra 2017
Zofia (2016) – silver medal, PIWI, Šardice (Morawy, Republika Czeska) 2017

Winnica Vanellus:

Noctis (czerwone, 2015) – silver medal, IV Konkurs Win Polskich Jasło 2017, silver medal, Víno Šírava (Zemplínska Šírava, Słowacja)2017
Vesperum (białe, 2016) – gold medal, Víno Šírava (Zemplínska Šírava, Słowacja) 2017
Vesperum (białe, 2015) – gold medal, III Konkurs Win Polskich Jasło 2016

Winnica Steckich:

Otinum (białe, 2015) – gold medal, Winobranie Zielona Góra 2017, gold medal, Tuchovinifest 2017
Celeber (białe, 2015) – gold medal, Winobranie Zielona Góra 2017, silver medal, Tuchovinifest 2017

Winnica Dwie Granice:

Regium (czerwone,2015) – silver medals Víno Šírava 2017 oraz VINO DUŠA 2017 (oba Słowacja).
Sibona (białe, 2016) – brown medal, IV Konkurs Polskich Win Jasło 2017
Idylla (białe, 2016) – silver medal, IV Konkurs Polskich Win Jasło 2017

Winnica Zamkowa:

Regent, 2015, Cuvee-3, 2016 – silver medals
Maréchal Foch, 2016, Hibernal, 2016 – brown medals, ENOEXPO during Międzynarodowych Targów Wina w Krakowie ENOEXPO®
Hibernal, 2016 – gold medal, Muvina, Prešov (Słowacja, 2017)
Regent – silver, andHibernal i Cuvve-3 – brown medal, II Międzynarodowy Konkurs Win Tuchów 2017

Winnica Alabaster:

Rubin (czerwone, 2016) – silver medal, IV Konkurs Polskich Win Jasło 2017
Noc Kairu (czerwone, 2016) – brown medal, IV Konkurs Polskich Win Jasło 2017

Winnica Wiarus:

Słodka Anielka – IV Konkursie Polskich Win Jasło 2017, received a gold medal in the category of Polish sweet wines
Gwiazda Poranna 2016 – received a bronze medal in the category of white Polish wines

Winnica Mazurak:

Marlon – w 2016 silver medal II Galicyjski Konkurs Win
Solamus 2016 – bronze medal in the category of Polish white wines VI Konkurs Polskich Win Jasło 2017

Winnica Golesz:

Elenka 2009 – 2015: Cuvée Valtice, gold medal, category winner; Cuvée Ostrava, gold medal; Galicja Vitis Łańcut, silver medal;
Feromer 2013 – 2015: Galicja Vitis Łańcut, gold medal
Cuvée 2013 – 2014: Muvina Prešov, golden medal; Galicja Vitis Łańcut, gold medal
Feromer 2013 – 2014: Galicja Vitis Łańcut, golden medal
Elenka 2009 – 2014: Galicja Vitis Łańcut, gold medal, category winner; Vinoforum Trenčín, gold medal

I visited The Carpathian Wine Route on invitation by Stowarzyszenia Pro Carpathia (the Pro Carpathia Association) as part of the “Karpacki Szlak Wina” program financed by the Interreg V-A Poland-Slovakia Program.

And curiosity: Did you know that there are phone applications such as Vivino, in which we save and evaluate the tasted wines, and it shows us new beverages in our taste?