Discover the world, one sip at a time.

Champagne. Egly-Ouriet
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Champagne. Egly-Ouriet

Egly-Ouriet and its rise to prominence is a relatively recent development. Francis Egly took over the domaine in 1982 and only then they stopped selling grapes to the big houses and quickly became, along with Anselme Selosse, one of the most influential figures in the “grower Champagne” movement. He is considered to be the leading Pinot Noir grower in Champagne. The Egly wines are well known for their rich and opulent Pinot Noir style typical of Ambonnay and a great incorporation of the wood into Champagne maturation. Last year I had the absolute pleasure to be invited by Clémence Egly to visit the famous Egly-Ouriet in Ambonnay in the Montagne de Reims.

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Torres Wine Club. Future of the Wine Industry
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Torres Wine Club. Future of the Wine Industry

On the 3rd of April, I participated in the 3rd meeting of the Torres Wine Club with Brenda Sanchez, Brand Ambassador of Familia Torres, co-organized by Winokąt at Flaming Bistro in Warsaw. This time the topic was the future of the wine industry, which sparked a lively discussion. Except for a solid dose of knowledge about different ways in which Familia Torres tries to cut their carbon footprint, we had the chance to try vegetarian and vegan dishes paired with Familia Torres wines.

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Mosel. Dr. Loosen
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Mosel. Dr. Loosen

Last fall I visited Mosel and my first stop was none other than the famous Dr. Loosen estate. Anne, who was my gracious host, started off by saying that “Ernie”, as the owner Doctor Ernst Loosen is called, is sadly not available and she will try to fill in the shoes. And she did a great job! The history of the estate goes back 200 years and Ernst is looking after it since 1988. The philosophy is simple – great wines are the reflection of soil, climate and grape variety. With the cool climate, steep, south-facing slopes and slate soil perfect for radiating the heat the wineries have all the tools they need to make special wines. Last but not least the area still upholds some ungrafted vines that are more than 100 years old!

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Australia. Masterclass “Cool climate Australia” by Wojciech Bońkowski MW
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Australia. Masterclass “Cool climate Australia” by Wojciech Bońkowski MW

Are there cool climate wines from Australia? We sought the answer with Wojciech Bońkowski, the first Polish Master of Wine, during the masterclass "Cool Climate Australia" during the lastest edition of #AussieWineinPoland organized by the Office of the Commercial Counsellor of the Australian Embassy (Austrade) on March 16 at the Raffles Europejski Hotel in Warsaw. The event featured 17 exhibitors presenting wines from 35 producers representing regions from Western Australia to Tasmania. Australian wines are known for their quality, innovation and depth, and Australia is rated as one of the top 10 wine-producing countries in the world.

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List. 12 best wines I’ve tried in 2022
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

List. 12 best wines I’ve tried in 2022

At the end f the year, we like to look back and reminisce. In terms of wine 2022 was definitely a Champagne year for me! I’ve visited 10 excellent winegrowers in the Champagne region, been to Mosel in Germany to try one of the most exciting Rieslings out there and int the beginning of the year stopped by the Valpolicella to explore powerful Amarones. Below you will find my personal list of 10 best wines I’ve tried in 2022 - not necessarily in order. Enjoy!

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Champagne. Benoît Lahaye
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Champagne. Benoît Lahaye

Benoît Lahaye is one of the most recognized biodynamic producers in the region. His champagnes are concentrated, full-bodied, dense and powerful, which is typical for Bouzy and the neighboring villages of Montagne de Reims. They have distinct bruised apple and toasty notes with a chalky finish. The modern history of Champagne Lahaye begins in 1993 when Benoît started to work in the family vineyards established by his great-grandfather. As was common back then he sold all of his grapes to the big champagne houses. The independent production started in 1996 when the family left the cooperative.

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Champagne. David Léclapart
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Champagne. David Léclapart

Located in the eastern side of the Montagne de Reims in a small village Trépail David Leclapart is currently producing some of the most exciting wines the Champagne region has to offer. Although this is part of Montagne de Reims, which is known for Pinot Noir, Trépail is a great place for Chardonnay. David cultivates 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, which by the way is the ratio for his tête de cuvée L’Aphrodisiaque.

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Burgundy. Confuron Cotetidot
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Burgundy. Confuron Cotetidot

During my last trip to Burgundy I had a very unique chance to meet Yves Confuron from Confuron – Cotetidot winery. A man of great conviction – which I always will choose over indifference – he is currently responsible for two wine projects.

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Warsaw. Bud Break 2022 Mielżyński
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Warsaw. Bud Break 2022 Mielżyński

The 26th of May was a very busy day for all wine lovers in Warsaw. It started with the return of the annual Bud Break wine tasting at Mielżyński Burakowska. The theme was “Italian Alpine Wines” with the following producers: Nino Franco, J. Hofstatter, Attems, Castello di Buttrio, Marco Felluga & Rusiz Superiore. Robert Mielżyński himself was actually in charge of pouring and storytelling.

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Valpolicella. Azienda Agricola Ca’ la Bionda
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Valpolicella. Azienda Agricola Ca’ la Bionda

Do you like skiing in Italy? Next time on your way to the Alps or Dolomites stop by in the Valpolicella region and visit Azienda Agricola Ca’ la Bionda, situated in the heart of the historically “classic” Valpolicella zone. Castellani family started producing Valpolicella Superiore in 1989 and what is very unique they are vinifying the wine without the process of grape drying known as appassimento that is essential for the making of Recioto and Amarone, the region’s greatest and most noble wines.

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Warsaw. Hub.Praga restaurant
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Warsaw. Hub.Praga restaurant

Hub.Praga is a new restaurant opened just three months ago in Warsaw by a renowned chef Witek Iwański, who you may remember from Aruana. It has a short, rotating card. You can pop in for a tasting menu which consists of all of the dishes in the card without making a reservation and sommelier Grzegorz Koczela will help you select some great wine to complement the dinner.

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Georgia. Georgian Wine Tasting
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Georgia. Georgian Wine Tasting

Last week I had the pleasure to attend my first tasting of Georgian Wines under the patronage of the National Wine Agency of Georgia, which took place at a lovely Georgian restaurant Rusiko in Warsaw.

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Cracow. Confetti Wine Fest. Natural Wines Festival 2022
Sandra Piotrowska Sandra Piotrowska

Cracow. Confetti Wine Fest. Natural Wines Festival 2022

Wow! Last week was very busy for the wine industry and enthusiasts! After completing Capstone California Level 1 with Adam Pawłowski and a great festival of German Rieslings & Co. I went to Cracow for the Confetti Wine Fest. 60 producers of natural wines and many more wine lovers visited sunny Cracow on Saturday. This was only the second edition of the Festival after the inauguration in 2019. The mandatory break due to the C-19 pandemic was well used by the organizers to prepare something exceptional to cover up for the lost time. And what an excellent comeback it was!

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