![\"\"](\"http:\/\/vinosseur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/2011-01-04_12011070.jpg\" "\\"2011-01-04_12011070\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn a country where disposable income seems to be increasing rapidly, the world of wine is only at it’s infancy with hopefully only one direction to go and that’s up.\u00a0 This will be of course an “uphill”\u00a0 battle in a country that consumes loads of Vodka (which is very cheap) and beer (also cheap).\u00a0 They also have a vast variety of\u00a0 “wines” from central Europe which on average can cost half as much as the wines from what I call the “Old World”.\u00a0\u00a0 Still, people seem to be talking about wine and wine shops seem to be opening up as fast as you can imagine.\u00a0 Yet, in Krakow (Poland’s second most populous city with a population of just over 750,000), there is a serious lack of wine bars.\u00a0 I can count them on one hand and still have some fingers left over.\u00a0 Just to give you some perspective, in Bergen where I currently reside, there are at least 5 wine bars. Bergen is a city with one third the population of Krakow and is in a country that doesn’t (yet) produce wine (Poland does, by the way).\u00a0 Despite this, one wine bar is surviving and even growing.\u00a0 Welcome to the Wine Garage<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n In countries where a new economy is booming, many people with these new found riches like to show others\u00a0 by proudly displaying recognizable labels from not only marks like Mercedes Benz and Prada, but also wine labels like M\u00f6et & Chandon and top Bordeaux’s.\u00a0 This makes Mariusz and Agnieszka’s job even tougher trying to sell items with little known, non-conventional labels.\u00a0 But it seems to be working out for them because as I write this, they are preparing to open a second location right smack in the city senter.<\/p>\n<\/a>Wine Garage (the bar) got their start about 18 months ago.\u00a0 Not only is Wine Garage a nice, cozy spot to drink some good wines, but the owners Mariusz and Agnieszka have also been importing and distributing their wines throughout Krakow for the last 5 years.\u00a0 They focus on organic and biodynamic products (they also have a small selection of coffees and teas) from mostly small producers from Italy, France, Hungary and even Moravia (Czech Republic).\u00a0 Wine Garage is located underground (that is,\u00a0 one floor below street level) on a small residential street about a 5 minute tram ride from the historic city center.\u00a0 The vibe is very informal and easy going, making you feel welcome and relaxed from the minute you enter\u00a0 and come down the stairs.\u00a0 Sit and enjoy a glass of wine with some cheese, or buy a bottle to take with you. It’s up to you.<\/p>\n<\/a>Ok, now on to some wine! Last night I had the privilege to get to together with Mariusz, Agnieszka and a few other wine enthusiasts to taste some wine.\u00a0 The first wine we started with was a bottle I brought with me, a 2007 Dario Prin\u010di\u010d Pinot Grigio<\/strong>.\u00a0 Seven days of skin contact gives this Pinot Grigio an unfamiliar hue that most wine drinkers wouldn’t expect.\u00a0 This pinkish-skinned grape is usually made into a white wine, which I feel is a shame since my two favorite Pinot Grigio’s are made with the skins, like red wine.\u00a0 Dario’s Pinot Grigio is made with grapes grown in a very natural way, only spraying sulfur if he really needs to and nothing more.\u00a0 His philosophy is carried over into his wine making where, you guessed it, nothing is added, not even the yeast.\u00a0 He checks his free sulfur levels before bottling (he adds none during the wine making process), and sometimes adds a little just to get the number up to about 20mg\/liter.\u00a0 I love this wine, and the others seemed to enjoy it as well.\u00a0 Aromas of orange peel and tea, spices and herbs.\u00a0 On the palate the wine is simply delicious.\u00a0 Fruity, mildly tannic and even at 14% alcohol, extremely refreshing and easy to drink. Perhaps the best Pinot Grigio I have tasted (or should I say – perhaps my favorite Pinot Grigio thus far).<\/p>\n<\/a>The second two wines were sponsored by wine enthusiast Kuba.\u00a0 The first of the two was a “mature” Burgundy.\u00a0 A 1995 Domaine Chaumont Pere et Fils Mercury<\/strong> that he found at a very reasonable price (about 100 Polish z\u0142oty<\/em> – or about $34). Kuba had drank a bottle just the night before and was pleasantly surprised by it, so he decided to pick up another for this tasting.\u00a0 I don’t know much about this producer except that the grapes are his own, not purchased.\u00a0 The wine appeared more youthful in the glass than the age would suggest. The same held true on the nose.\u00a0 No dominant oak here, just fresh red fruit, some herbs and hints of characteristic farmyard.\u00a0 The nose made me eager to taste, but I nosed the wine at least 5 more minutes because the nose made me so eager with anticipation that I wanted to delay the pleasure a bit.\u00a0 When I did finally take a sip, I have to admit that I was disappointed.\u00a0 The wine still had it’s tannins and acidity in place, but the fruit was no where to be found. Have I just found my favorite H2O?\u00a0 We laughed a bit at the comment made by Kuba that the wine tasted like Pinot Noir-flavored water.\u00a0 The bottle he consumed the night before was still alive and fruity according to him.. Oh well… on to the next wine.<\/p>\n<\/a>The next wine was a surprise.\u00a0 A 2008 Vina\u0159stv\u00ed Baloun Merlot<\/strong><\/a> from Moravia.\u00a0 A very light, fruity and peppery wine carrying a modest 11.5% alcohol.\u00a0 When I first nosed the glass, the first aroma that hit my nostrils was pepper, and lots of it!\u00a0 Followed by very sweet, almost candied, red fruit.\u00a0 These two aromas I would never have expected to find together.\u00a0 Most of the “peppery” wines I have come across carried more earthy, less sweet aromas.\u00a0 This was strange.\u00a0 But, the more I aired the wine, the less candy-like the aromas became.\u00a0 The pepper stayed and now red cranberries were the dominant red fruit.. Now the wine was getting interesting to me.\u00a0 On the palate the wine was light, fresh and peppery with red fruit shoulders.\u00a0 Low acidity and no tannins make this the perfect quaffing wine on a hot summer’s day.\u00a0 I enjoyed the wine, but I felt it carried a rather hefty price tag of 43 Polish z\u0142oty <\/em>(about $11.50).<\/p>\n<\/a>We then moved on to a Spanish wine from Jerez de la Frontera provided by Carlos, a distributor for the wine.\u00a0 A 2009 Vi\u00f1a Greduela Coupage Joven<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 A bold blend of organically grown Merlot (40%), Syrah (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Tempranillo (only 10%).\u00a0 First aromas to hit my nose were quite intense.\u00a0 Ripe fruit, even some over ripe fruit characteristics, with mostly dark berries, plums and stewed plums.\u00a0 Hints of the yeast with a mild volatility suggested to me spontaneous fermentation.\u00a0 Very nice structure on the palate, refreshing acidity and medium plus tannins suggest that this Joven was young and could be possibly enjoyed for the next 5 years.\u00a0 A good wine, a drinkable wine.\u00a0 Not yet available in Poland.<\/p>\n<\/a>And the last wine that made an appearance last night was actually a wine provided to us by Mariusz and Agnieszka from the Wine Garage selection of wines. A new Piemontese producer for them (and for me as well).\u00a0 A 2007 Olek Bondonio Langhe Nebbiolo<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 An organic producer of Polish decent.\u00a0 This wine was a modern Nebbiolo made in the slightly oxidative style.\u00a0 On the nose, the delicate aromas of the nebbiolo grape were hard to pick up at first whiff, but as the wine aired (and aeration it does need), the wine became a bit more characteristic.\u00a0 Structure on the palate was immense and the tannins were very round (rounded out by the storage in small oak barrels).\u00a0 This for some may not be an easy to understand nebbiolo, and for others may not be their style.\u00a0 Whatever the verdict, it’s a pricey nebbiolo at around 120 Polish z\u0142oty <\/em>(around $41). Despite this hefty price tag, and the average person’s propensity to spend little money on wine in Poland, the wine is selling well says Agnieszka.\u00a0 That’s good news.<\/p>\n