Winnica Irena

Irena Vineyard is located in the village of Wilczkowo in Żnin County, in the Kujavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, on the slopes descending towards the Large Żnin Lake. The vineyard grounds lie within the boundaries of the Żnin Lakes Protected Landscape Area, and the surrounding area is part of the Piast Trail. The vineyard is located on the south-facing Wilczkowo Hills, in close proximity to the lake, which the owners point to as a factor influencing the local microclimate: fresh air and winter fogs associated with temperature differences.

Agnieszka and Marcin Siadak run the vineyard. The vineyard area is about 4 hectares, within a farm holding of about 11 hectares in total, on which class IIIa soils predominate. The vines are trained in a cordon system on a wire placed about 75 cm above the ground. The vineyard produces white, red and rosé wines; annual production is about 10,000 litres. The grape harvest runs from September to early November, and the wines, after clarification, age in tanks for at least six months before bottling.

At Irena Vineyard, visitors can tour the plantation and the estate grounds and taste the wines. The vineyard organizes guest participation in the autumn grape harvest and full-day stays on site, and in the summer season also picnics, during which wines as well as cheeses and cured meats from local farms in the Pałuki region are served. Bottles from Irena Vineyard can be bought directly from the owners; the wine also reaches local hotels and restaurants, including the palace in Lubostron.

HISTORY OF Winnica Irena

Agnieszka and Marcin Siadak, the owners of Irena Vineyard, moved to Wilczkowo in 2003, settling in an old house on a small farm that had belonged to Marcin's family for generations. That same year, at the Polagra trade fair in Poznań, they brought home their first vine cuttings, which they planted in the plot. In 2005, after obtaining EU funds for young farmers, they expanded the farm by additional hectares in the same village.

At first, the couple grew vegetables, including carrots and potatoes, sold to wholesalers and market stalls; after unfavourable price conditions, they gave up this production. They first tasted wine in 2010, when friends gave them a bottle of white wine. In the following years, they began buying wine at a shop in Żnin, gathered specialist literature and took part in training courses, including in Hungary, while Agnieszka Siadak enrolled in postgraduate studies in viticulture in Wrocław. In 2015, after taking part in the grape harvest with a friendly winemaker near Kraków, they decided to establish their own vineyard. In the spring of 2015, they planted the first 0.3 hectares with vines, and a few months later planted a further 0.5 hectares.

They chose the vineyard's name in honour of Marcin's aunt, Irena, who lives in the family home in Wilczkowo and supported the undertaking. The first grape harvest took place in 2018, after about three years of vegetation. About 1,400 litres of wine were then produced, bottled in 2,000 bottles. As they did not yet have the full set of required permits, the wine from that vintage could not be sold and was tasted among friends. Sales began with the 2019 vintage. In the following years, the plantation was expanded by planting further fields in the area.

CULTIVATED GRAPE VARIETIES

IMPORTANT WINES OF Winnica Irena

• Cortis

Winnica Irena WINE REVIEWS

• Marco (2022): 85.00 pts;
• Regento Rose (2022): 85.00 pts;
• Solano (2022): 85.00 pts;

WINE CONTESTS

Winnica Irena won a total of 1 award in wine competitions in Poland and abroad.

NON-POLISH WINE CONTESTS

No contest data available for this winery.

POLISH WINE CONTESTS

• WINOPL - Konkurs Win Polskich: 1 award