04.12.2013 change 04.12.2013

We have the first batch of a special beverage - Polish ice wine

The Vineyard On Manor Brook (Winnica Nad Dworskim Potokiem) of the Jagiellonian University produced Poland\'s first ice wine, made from grapes frozen on the vine. The exclusive beverage will only be tasted by few, because only 20 litres, less than 30 bottles were made.

"The wine came out very well" - told PAP Adam Kiszka, manager of the winery in Łazy near Bochnia (Lesser Poland). He added that the wine had already been successfully presented to the demanding Wines Chapter of the Jagiellonian University, composed, among others, of the current and former rectors of the university in Kraków and the leading Polish enologists and wine connoisseurs.

According to the experts, the 2012 vintage has a beautiful, concentrated aroma of fresh fruit and flavour characteristic of the hibernal variety of grapes, from which it was produced. It also achieved very good parameters: 16 percent alcohol content and about 130 g/l of residual sugar.

Light green grapes frozen on the vine used for the production of beverage were collected in the vineyard "On Manor Brook" on the night of 5 December 2012 gathered at a very favourable weather, that is, temperature reaching almost -12 degrees Celsius. The harvest was very fast, it took only about an hour.

The must fermented for six months, and then the wine matured. Ice wine is an exclusive beverage. With 100 kg of grapes pressed before unfreezing, 10-15 litres of grape must is produced.

The Jagiellonian University vineyard produced about 20 litres of 2012 vintage ice wine, which is less than 30 bottles. According to Adam Kiszka, only few will taste it, because the wine will go on sale. It vineyard will probably be kept to celebrate special occasions at the Jagiellonian University, including the celebration of the 650th anniversary of the founding of the university in Krakow.

The vineyard manager told PAP that hibernal grapes for the purpose of this year\'s ice wine were already waiting on the vines for a favourable weather. " At the moment the weather is unfavourable, but we hope that soon we will have good conditions" - he said.

Ice wine can be good if the grapes are harvested at a temperature in the range of - 8 degrees. Ideally, the fruits should be gathered in November, but they can wait on the vine until December.

The homeland of ice wine - Eiswein (German) - is Franconia in Germany. Currently, the largest ice wine producers are Germany and Canada.

"The Vineyard On Manor Brook" (Winnica Nad Dworskim Potokiem) was established in 2005 at the Jagiellonian University Agricultural Experimental Station in Łazy near Bochnia, at the initiative of the then rector Prof. Karol Musioł. His inspiration came from vineyards of the leading European universities.

It currently has an area of over 3.3 hectares, growing 11 thousand vines. Due to changes in the excise law, it can legally produce and sell liquor in their own shop.

According to the rules of art, wine production in the university vineyard began three years after planting crops, in 2008. The wine from this crop is the first official university vintage wine. The result of the vineyard work are white and red dry wines under the name "Novum", referring to the main building of the Jagiellonian University, Collegium Novum. These wines have already won medals at international competitions.

The varieties which produce the best wine in the vineyard are Seyval Blanc, Bianca, Aurora, Hibernal. Most of the crops are vine varieties which produce white wine. Rondo and Regenta are grown for red wine.

In total, there are about 30 vineyards in Lesser Poland. Recently, experts have selected the 15 best of them, which gave rise to the Lesser Poland Wine Trail. In time, the trail will be extended with further vineyards.

According to experts, leading areas in this field of agriculture can already be identified in Lesser Poland. These are primarily the Cracow-Częstochowa Upland near Ojców National Park and the the Rożnów-Ciężkowice foothills in the east of the region.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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