Insider: Tell me about the regions Polish wines come from.

Mateusz Dobrzykowski: Nowadays, leading producers come from the regions of Dolny Śląsk, Zachodniopomorskie, Małopolskie, Podkarpacie, and Lubelskie. When you consider these regions, it is important to remember to focus on the southern part of the country because the vegetation period is the longest there. The warmest region of them all is the general southern part of the country, with its rolling hills and almost microclimate, but it is also important to remember the western and northwestern parts of the country like Lubuskie and Zachodniopomorskie, with the iconic producer Turnau now being the biggest producer with 34 hectares, having a huge area of production. Actually, now the 2nd new upcoming producer, Dwór Charbielin, within 27 hectares.

Why are the better tasting wines from Poland mostly white?

Well, it has to do mostly with the fact that red wines need to come from a more mature vine, and the ones here in Poland are not there yet. We are looking for a sort of perfect gateway for the red wine to improve. We have beautiful wines from the Pinot Noir or Zweigelt grapes, which is a popular variety in Central Europe, but we are seeing stylish Polish Rondo and Regent grapes which almost have a veggie earthy taste that is very familiar among all the sommeliers in Poland when we do blind taste testing. Often we know this varietal because we can taste something of fermented beetroot. It is kind of a thing that is okay, but we always look for something a little bit more advanced in their style, which is the point of reference for the quality. Personally, I see big potential in Cabernet Cortis grape.

Tell us about making a tasting menu with a Michelin star chef?

The idea of Andrea is to smash your palate with an explosion of flavor. Rich and complex experience. So every wine has to have an amplified position. For example, for our borscht soup with caviar and duck broth, it is a challenge to match the main ingredient and the beetroot which is generally not a friend to sommeliers because it is sweet and veggie. Something light red wine, but remember the duck stock with a sort fatness which needs a higher level of alcohol, as well as silky tannins to match. Something not too oaky because it will kill the structure of the dish. And especially Andrea, he brings a lot to our conversation when we discuss pairing wines with his dishes. He is expressive and the wines need to be iconic as well by the label or the backstory or unusual fragrances.

You were a judge at Wino.pl in Poznan, can you tell us more about it?

The city of Poznan is known for its international fairs and the organizers saw the popularity of Polish wine, so they created the opportunity to invite together a large class of sommeliers, sellers, bloggers from all around Poland to see the different points of view come together to paint a picture of Polish wine culture. It is a really fascinating event where we are tasting different subgroups, red wines, sweet wines, rose wine, and white made from hybrids. Tasting is blind with black foil so that there are no biases.

Is there a best in show?

We judge the wines based on the Robert Parker rating system which gives wines a score between 50 and 100 points. The higher the score, the better the wine. Wines with ratings between 80 and 100 points are considered to be good quality wines worth trying, although, for questions of prestige, wineries tend to only publicize ratings of 90 points and over. One thing to consider is that the ratings change because the vintages change in quality and winemakers are experimenting, but often times for the better.

Who would you keep an eye out for?

If you look in the Lubelskie, you will see Kamil Barczentewicz, a young producer from the new wave, with a precise character and good expression. Two guys: Guillaume Dubois, Jean Thierry Smolis who came from France who are producing the best sparkling wine in Poland.

How do you account for trends?

There are producers making individual series or lines of production like orange wine, petit naturals which are still working and producing carbon dioxide inside and with nice labels. These are perfect for the upcoming consumer or even the business person who wants something more edgy and different.

Would you say there is a wine revolution like there was a craft beer revolution?

People going to wine bars or shops buy wine based on a recommendation and the seller needs to be knowledgeable as well as making a profit and with wine bars in big cities like Warsaw, until the knowledge of the beginning stages of wine is evolved and more informed then it will take some time before it becomes a big thing.