Sandomierz Wine Trail

"Sandomierz wine is at times better than Moravian," wrote the 16th-century botanist Marcin of Urzędów. Tax records suggest that as many as 150 hectares of vineyards may then have grown within the bounds of old Sandomierz. After centuries of absence the vine has returned to the sunny slopes above the Vistula, and the Sandomierz Wine Trail leads to the farms rebuilding that tradition.

Eight centuries of vines

Winemaking in the region is linked with the arrival of the Dominicans in Sandomierz in 1226. The friars planted a vineyard on St James's Hill, right next to their friary, to make altar wine. In 1238 they obtained a trading privilege from the Piast dukes to sell wine, later confirmed by Leszek the Black — the Dominicans regard this date as the beginning of local winemaking. After returning to Sandomierz in 2001, the friars recreated the vineyard beside the church, and Sandomierz wine is once again served to locals and visitors.

The trail and its vineyards

The trail is a 60-kilometre wine-tourism route through Dwikozy, Samborzec, Sandomierz and Wilczyce. When it was created it included five farms, plantations and processing plants; the number of vineyards in the area has since grown — Radio Kielce reported 13 vineyards in Sandomierz county, 8 of them licensed to make and sell their own wine. The project "Return to the winemaking traditions of the Sandomierz Land" run by the Sandomierz Scientific Society played a key role in the revival. Along the route lies, among others, Winnica nad Jarem on the road from Sandomierz towards Ćmielów, run by Sylwia and Mateusz Paciura, president of the Sandomierz Winemakers' Association.

Why vines grow here

Scientists from the Sandomierz Scientific Society point to the local microclimate: south-east-facing slopes soak up the sun, and deep loess mixed with weathered limestone favours good-quality grapes. The valleys of the Vistula, Koprzywianka and Opatówka drain away cold air during spring and autumn frosts, so the frost-free season is relatively long. Most vineyards cover about 1 hectare, while the largest, at seven hectares, supports a whole family. Alongside hybrid varieties, noble grapes such as cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir are increasingly planted.

What to look out for

• The Dominican vineyard below the Gothic Church of St James — rows of vines right in town.
• Short distances — the vineyards lie within a radius of under 20 km, making a one-day tour easy.
• The Young Wine Festival and open vineyard days in autumn, plus Blossoming Vine picnics and runs through the plantations.

Tripto tips

Allow a full day for a relaxed tour with tastings and arrange a designated driver or an overnight stay — more and more vineyards offer rooms for wine tourists. Visits and tastings are best agreed with the owners in advance, as availability depends on the season and the winemakers themselves. Autumn, with the harvest and young wine, is the most interesting time to come. The trip combines easily with Sandomierz's old town and a walk to St James's Church.