Zielona Gora Wine

Zielona Gora - the name means green hill - had vineyards from the Middle Ages, and by the nineteenth century it was a significant wine town of the German lands with hundreds of hectares under vine and a sparkling wine industry. Production collapsed through the twentieth century and had almost vanished by the 1980s. Since the 1990s it has been rebuilt: dozens of small vineyards now work the slopes around the city and across the Lubusz region, producing mainly white wines from cool-climate varieties, riesling, solaris, seyval blanc, johanniter, with some pinot noir and regent for red. Poland is a marginal wine country and the wines are light and high in acid, which is the honest description. The Winobranie, the grape harvest festival, runs for nine days in September and is one of the largest street festivals in Poland, with a wine village, parades and concerts.

What to look for

• Replanted vineyards - dozens of small producers on the slopes since the 1990s.
• Cool-climate varieties - solaris, johanniter, riesling and seyval for the whites.
• A marked wine route - through the villages around the city.
• Winobranie in September - a nine-day harvest festival across the town.

When to go

September, for the harvest and festival. A day.

Practical notes

Polish wine is expensive for its quality by international standards and the style is light and acidic. Small producers need appointments for tastings. Festival week fills the city and accommodation is scarce.

Nearby

Lagow and the Lubusz lakes are north-east.