New Zealand Winemaker & Drinking Wines in Krakow, Poland

Below is a brief description of a renowned woman winemaker in New Zealand who has forged her own path, and videos and photos and insights from a weekend that included wandering wine bars in Krakow, Poland.

She's a New Zealand Biodynamic Wine Producer and Chef

Some fifteen years ago I visited the Marlborough wine region on the South Island of New Zealand. While there, I ate dinner at Hans Herzog Estate in their garden and sampled amazing food and a flight of delicious wines.

Years later I asked the winery to contribute a recipe to The Winemakers' Cooking Companion cookbook, which they did. The dish was prepared by Ashleigh Barrowman who was then working there, and who now owns her own biodynamic wine company called Siren Wine.

In Marlborough, New Zealand, sunny days are good for developing sugars in grapes, while cool nights develop acidity. Ashleigh leaves her wines unfined and unfiltered to reveal their complexity as well as organic aromas and flavors.

As the article here shows, her wines are named after Tarot cards.

Ashley provided this praise for my cookbook:

“Contributing to this beautiful cookbook during my time at Herzog Estate was a true honor. Standing alongside winemakers from all around the world who share a similar belief that wine is never just a drink, it's part of the joy of bringing people together. These recipes capture the spirit of winemaking: long days, generous meals and bottles opened with purpose. Those years at Herzog Estate shaped how I make my own wine today, always with people and shared experiences in mind. For me, great wine doesn't sit beside a meal, it completes it.”

—Ashleigh Barrowman, chef and owner of biodynamic Siren Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand

Insider Insights—

The launch date for The Winemakers' Cooking Companion cookbook is June 12th, although I may delay that some weeks so I have more time to publicize the book and set up a book launch in my home town in France.

Recipe—

Download your free copy of the recipe that Ashleigh prepared for my cookbook The Winemakers' Cooking Companion here.

Click the button below to be notified when The Winemakers' Cooking Companion Cookbook is published in June. I'll send you a free ebook that I wrote (to be republished this June) titled Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life which includes interviews with over 50 people who work in the world of wine in a dozen countries.

Wine in Poland and Krakow Wine Bars

Ryanair offers direct flights from Toulouse in France to Krakow, Poland. This past weekend I hopped on a Friday flight, then returned on Monday night. For three nights I explored the city and also its ample wine bars.

Winnica Amonit

I visited Joanna Spatek-Niemiec at Amonit winery on the outskirts of Krakow. I had tasted a wine that she and her husband Marcin make while I was at Dzikie wine bar in Krakow the night before (the wine, CF, is named after the hybrid grape: Cserszegi Füszeres). So the next day I took an Uber out to visit. Their house is located a half hour drive to the northwest of the city. We ate her homemade cheese and tasted wines in their home, adjacent to one hectare (2.5 acres) of vines.

Suddenly another Polish visitor unexpectedly arrived, named Rafal. I asked if could I get a ride back to Krakow with him in his car. He said no because he was about to drive to one of Poland's biggest wine conferences/festivals to the south. But he said he had an extra ticket. Did I want to join?

I did—amazing event!

Here is a short video of tasting with Joanna.

A collage of photographs of various Polish wines below made from grapes that include Solaris, Hibernal and other hybrids.

Ogrody Wina

This was the wine event I unexpectedly attended with Rafal Darecki, who invited me and then drove us to this beautiful five star hotel and grounds in the countryside south of Krakow. Here are portraits of some international wine producer representatives from Slovenia, Hungary, France, and Spain.

What's Coming

I'll soon feature:

• Wines from Languedoc
• Tuscan wines

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