Following our stories you must have noticed our undisguised sympathy towards grapes and almost anything made of them. Visiting different places we usually try to look into some vineries, find out more about local wines and of course try them. Where does it come from? How is that happening? It seems it has to be something in our genes as more or less a year ago an idea to set up a vineyard came up in our closes family. We couldn’t have not to join this project. You would say risky idea? Maybe a little because the climate of north-eastern Poland doesn’t seem at first sight to be the most beneficial to vines cultivation. Summers indeed are recently quite hot (we are writing this when temperature outside reaches 34 degrees), but on contrary winters are cold and snowy. It happens that in winter thermometer shows similar values as now just on the opposite side of scale. Is there a chance for vines not only to grow but also to give good quality fruits in such conditions?
Research showed that there are some chances of success, as Poland has already some wine traditions reaching back 10th century. In those times wine on our areas was mostly produced for sacral needs of newly Christianized country. Since then until today vine cultivations have occurred in here with different intensivity. Today single wineries come up across Poland even on much larger scale than ours. Their success shows that Poland is not that bad for vine growth as it might seem. But do those examples allow to expect good quality fruits somewhere at the edge of Knyszynski Forest, on north-east Poland, our local cold pole? The risk had been taken, grapes seedlings purchased and planted.
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Before even the winery was created it already got its name. That’s right, the one that you are thinking about. Could it be different than Aleksandra at all? That’s our Ola’s full name. So let us introduce, THE VINEYARD ALEKSANDRA:
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Not only the name and love for grapes but also pure curiosity made us take part in this project and watch vines growing towards the sun. Of course besides Polish wine traditions and big hopes for success final decision about setting up the vineyard was taken after intense consultations with experts on this field. Vine cuttings arrived to us from Jaslo in southern Poland and couple of months ago, exactly 18 april, they got acquainted with local soil. On that day we even had probably one of the last in this spring, snowfall but Varieties Seyval Blanc, Swenson red, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch and Prairie Star must have felt very good in this areas as planted in spring they already grew to more than 80 cm. That is more or less Ola’s height! We are wondering if they will be growing together or one of them will grow faster. At the beginning barely sticking out from the ground twigs did not let us have any assumptions but with time they arose from the piles of soil mounded around them, started twisting around the poles and reaching to the sun.
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Chosen varietes are from the group of those especially good for wine production. Seyval Blanc is a variety of light grapes, resistant to frost up to -26 degrees Celsius, Svenson red is resistant to -30 and Leon Millot is dark, surviving temperatures of maximum -28 degrees, Marechal Foch is a dark type, resistant to frost of -30 degrees and Prairie Star is light, early and the most frost-resistant of all because up to -35 degrees Celcius. As you see low temperatures are not a big threat for some types of vines but anyway we will have to keep your fingers crossed for temperatures not to drop too low what recently has happened in our area.
First harvest are expected not earlier than within 2 – 3 years and thanks to diligent care that you saw on the pictures above, there is no other option than to receive good, sweet and full of taste fruits. We believe it is not only sun, microelements derived from soil or proper fertilization and watering but also commitment and heart put in care for the plants. Service from such dedicated and charming gardener has to result in outstanding fruits which will become decent wines one day. By that time we will be reporting you next stages of vineyard’s growth. Check up with us to see how they vines grow and bear fruits!
Warm greetings to Golesz Winery who delivered us the grapes seedlings! We hope you keep your fingers crossed for our success.
