A visit to the Turnau vineyard, Poland

By jove – I’ve managed to do a bit of travelling!

Recently, I was lucky enough to hop on a plane (taking all necessary precautions) and fly over to Poland to see some relatives. While I was there, I was able to visit the Turnau vineyard in the north west of the country.

The vineyard is is 28 hectares in size growing vines of Solaris and Johanniter, Riesling, Hibernal, Seyval Blanc, Rondo, Regent and Cabernet – comprising of a decent combination of white, red and sparkling wines.

The grapes are grown and then processed onsite in a converted 19th century farm building

The vines

Before any sampling can be done – you have to work up a sweat 🙂

Roving through a vineyard is something I don’t do often as I should – mainly because I don’t know too much about growing grapes. I do drink wine though 🙂

We managed to walk through the vines where the Riesling and Rondo grapes are grown. I noticed that the temperature is monitored via a temperature gauge at the end of each row.

At the base of this part of the vineyard was the most picturesque, romantic lake where one could really sit and ponder.

The ground was also very sandy and fine, so this is probably something to bare in mind if I plant one in the future. Much like back home, this part of Poland has seen some rain recently, so everything was freshly green with the grapes looking plump as they grow.

Admittedly, I was given a grape vine not so long ago, but alas it did not survive.

The wines

Solaris 2020

Probably my favourite of all of the wines sampled that day.

I’ve made a mental note that I decide to grow a grapevine, this is the variety I’d like to grow.

Solaris translates into “Of the sun”, making this a particularly excellent wine for the summer. This was a sweet, moreish and I’d imagine this would complement fish and pasta dishes superbly.

Ambre 2018

An admittedly unique and unusual tipple…

This wine is made from the fermented and macerated skins of the Solaris grape, making it a dry and bitter wine – an acquired taste if you will.

You’ll notice that this is a cloudy drink, and this is because it has the sediment from the seeds and skins which add to the flavour.

Reisling 2019

The Riesling is full of fruity notes, combining flavours from apple, lemon, lime and grapefruit.

A strong contender next to the Solaris, this is a nice tipple for the summer with fish and pasta dishes that are light in nature.

Once produced, this wine in particular can take 3-5 years to mature and I’d say is worth the wait.

This was visit was an excellent experience and I’d recommend going if you’re in this particular region of Poland. More on the vineyard and the wines can be found here.

Have you visited many vineyards? If yes, what would you recommend – I’d love to know in the comments below.