Polish wine produced in the Zielona Góra region

Has anybody already tried the Polish wine, produced in the Zielona Góra region?

Unfortunately due to a pre-1989 law about wine production that the growers have been lobbying (without success) for years to change, there are problems selling it. It's possible to buy a ticket for the Zielona Góra wine fair and taste it, but it isn't in the shops.

What law? Can you elaborate, please?

Same in the Sandomierz; the best stuff is not for sale. I'm reliably informed that the way to get your hands on the stuff is to go on a tour of the vinyard and then enjoy the 'tasting session' afterwards.

As it was explained to me (last weekend as it happens, by a wine maker from somewhere else in Pl who has the same predicament) the regulations about selling alcohol are that you can fairly easily get a licence to produce and sell beer, but spirits and wine are different.

You can produce wine for your own use but even if you're growing a hundred hectares of vines, it's still counted as home-made and there's no provision under the law for just paying the excise and selling it. Basically, vodka not produced by (or with the help of) one of the Polmos's and all Polish grape-based wine are considered as moonshine; a sort of bimber. You can make it, drink it, give it away but not sell it.

I heard once, (in Zielona Góra) that any changes to the law are being resisted by the very large companies who import and distribute wine. Hence at the moment, you can only drink it at the wine fair in ZG.

Did you ever try it Jon, Polish wine? And what's it like? Or Harry in Sandomierz?
Would like to get a bottle somehow, to take home to Belgium as a present, but that might be very difficult I guess.

And now I found this:

adoriavineyards.com/en/?ts=1403875630
polskiewina.com.pl

Pretty pricey though.

Yes, it's decent enough but a good 20% or 30% more expensive than similar quality wine from more recognised wine-producing countries.
I buy some every time I'm passing this place. I don't know if they do mail order but if they don't, they could probably put you in touch with people who do (or are based in Warsaw). If they can't do that, you have a perfect excuse for a weekend in what is a cracking little town!

Yes but not unfortunately as much as I'd like. The Zielona Góra wine is white, very much in the German style and good quality. There are private growers in Mazowsze, some of them using grape vines that have been grown there since before the war however as winemakers they're just starting out and of course can't sell it legally. Very sweet and heavy, low on alcohol, red and very much a dessert wine but not yet of marketable quality (since they aren't making for the market and don't invest in equipment etc) - still a hobbyists thing. Nevertheless, I've been drinking a bit annually for several years and it's been better each time.

In the future, hopefully, things will develop well, but as I say, it needs a change in the law.

Still the two weblinks in my last posting clearly state there are producers who sell officially.

We're thinking about helping out some family friends in growing and making red wine . I had no idea there might be problems selling it. But then I should have expected it; my father rarely bothers with those pesky legal issues. :/

\\

Here we go Jon EU Registration of Appellation of Origin in Poland to my number there is only one maybe now max two.

Nothing to do with your buddies all Brussels...


Here is a list of wine producers in Poland you could contact Sob.

visegradwineroute.eu/vineyards-directory/poland/


I would say the best producer of wines in Poland is Roman Myśliwiec.

A weird statement if ever there was one.

Thanks for his post. I'm going to try out those wines.

I don't see wine as one of the products listed, warszawski

"Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)-covers agricultural products whose quality, reputation and properties are closely linked to a specific geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the area to which the product's name refers.

Polish products registered by the European Commission as PGI: miód wrzosowy z Borów Dolnośląskich (heather honey from Lower Silesia Forests), rogal świętomarciński (crescent-shaped bun from the Wielkopolska region), wielkopolski ser smażony (fried cheese from the Wielkopolska region), andruty kaliskie (wafers from Kalisz), truskawka kaszubska/kaszëbskô malëna (strawberry variety from the Kashubia region), fasola korczyńska (bean variety from the Nowy Korczyn area), miód kurpiowski (honey from the Kurpie region), kiełbasa lisiecka (sausage from the Małopolska region), suska sechlońska (dried plum from the Małopolska region), obwarzanek krakowski (bagel-like bread from Cracow), jabłka łąckie (apple variety from the Małopolska region), śliwka szydłowska (dried plum from Szydłów), chleb prądnicki (bread variety from Prądnik, Małopolska region), miód drahimski (honey from northwestern Poland), jabłka grójeckie (apple variety from Grójec, Mazovia region), kołocz śląski/kołacz śląski (raised cake from Silesia), ser koryciński swojski (cheese from Podlasie region), jagnięcina podhalańska (lamb meat from the Podhale region)."

That's because it isn't included in either the PDO or PGI schemes. Warszawski does tend to get the wrong end of the stick either on purpose or otherwise.

You might find this article interesting: krakowpost.com/article/2652

Thanks, Jon!

Wrong end of the stick or not, Polish wine is hard to find, but generally good, although not as good as other wines which cost the same amount. Pity.

I don't understand why the government has not granted licenses to sell wine since August 2008. Were there any reasons given, or, at least, some speculations?

I've been told a few times that the wine importers (a few large companies) have been able to pull strings and block it.

Contrary to the provisions of Article 38(3) (Annex I, point 22.05) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Polish legislation treats Polish winegrowers producing wine from their own vineyards as industrial establishments rather than smallholdings. Polish winegrowers are prevented from distributing their products in a way that complies with the standards that apply in other EU countries because Polish law is not in line with EU legislation. Infrastructure-related requirements mean that products cannot be sold from smallholdings, even on the national market.

The rules that are hampering the development of Polish winegrowing, and which have come about because Polish law does not comply with the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, principally concern monitoring (rules that are disproportionate in terms of the volume of national production and checks carried out by Sanepid, the Polish health inspectorate, when the finished product is about to be placed on the market - even though Sanepid is not a concept within wine law at European level), the sale of wine and customs checks.

europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2011-003838+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=BG

Exactly. Still the wrong end of the stick though, and pretty pointless.

Jon you are like a petulant child when someone brings to your attention to your error..

Firstly when Poland joined the European union in 2004 they applied for the rights to 100,000 ha of vineyards in Poland.


Thy stopped granting licences due to Polish law not being in compliance with EU law.


A wine import licence is not hard to come by and should not be considered the same as the right to produce wine and label wine as a product of Poland.

Warszawski you squirm and wiggle when you start with the bull **** and get caught out. First you link to a list that has nothing at all about wine on and then you blame the EU (didn't you say something about "buddies" in Brussels for some reason?) in order to hijack the thread. And not for the first time.

The issue about wine availability (as I think I mentioned, I was coincidentally discussing this with a producer last weekend) is that there are bureaucratic hurdles that have been in place for years and that the major wine importers have an interest in this remaining.

Jon, the first link is to some of the best small producers of artisan wines in Poland inclusive of Roman Myśliwiec. who was featured in your article from the Krakowpost.As I understand the OP wold like to take Polish wines to his family in Belgium.

As for buddies in Brussels you don't strike me as someone who is a Eurosceptic, quite the opposite more a Euro federalist, as such you would not admit it is red tape/bureacracy which stops these artisan wine producers in Poland from selling/exporting their wares legally or applying for EU structural funds.

Try to keep it on topic Jon, no more personal attacks on me.

The important thing is that there are legal hurdles about sales of domestic wines. Your post however incorrectly suggests that the EU is standing in the way of wine production (a surprise to the people of France, Italy, Hungary, Spain, the UK, Austria, Germany, etc).

As the winemaker himself explained to me, the obstacles are Polish and they only cover grape wine (other stuff isn't wine under Polish law) hence those nasty cherry wines in the brown bottles on the bottom shelf that alkies buy and the fake Sovietski Igristoy that's in fact made in Torun from pears.

As it happens, like most people from the UK/Poland, I'm neither a eurosceptic nor a federalist. Also, in our discussions, any personal attacks tend to fly the other way, but that's by the by.

Because Poland is a small wine producer and as a result it does not provide access to funds from national support programs, so Polish winemakers do not get the same support as France, Italy, Hungary, Spain, the UK, Austria, Germany.this is the reason most producers have plots of 0.5 to 2.5 ha.


A progressive change is in store for Polish winemakers: Polish winemaking law has reportedly been liberalized to allow a significant modification in practice for Polish winemakers. Polish Parliament approved an amendment to the Act on the Production and Bottling of Wine that assimilates Polish law to contemporary European regulations. The amendment repeals an existing law from 2004 and will come into effect fourteen days from the date of its publication. Accordingly, under the new law, Polish farmers will be able to sell their own fruit and grade wines and without registering as a business.

winelawonreserve.com/2011/05/17/progressive-change-polish-winemaking-laws/

That's good news - let's hope it actually translates into action.


Perhaps because previous Polish governments pointedly did nothing. Good on Mr Tusk for moving ahead on this.

More to do with the wine growers association I would say.

They've certainly been trying for 2 decades without success until now.

Still - the links I provided do point at some legit and established wine producers. So there has to be an AC classification.
I remember here in Warsaw at ul. Długa there used to be a shop which had Polish wine on offer.