We invite you for a trip and relaxation combined with tasting of Polish wines and regional products.
It is only 10 km from Krakow and 3.5 km from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
There is such a magical place right next to Krakow, where landowners devoted their lives to wine growing. Yes!
In wine industry since over 20 years.
A qualified winemaker ( with a Diplôme National d’Oenologue from Montpellier University, France). She’s got considerable experience in wine and spirits production ( Used to work for years on both hemispheres as a winemaking consultant ( which she still does, just limited herself to Europe), run a large winery and two chateaux in South Western France, “civilise” sovkhozes and be involved in armagnac and grappa production, not to mention home made vodkas 🙂 (nalewki) which is a national tradition in Poland ) as well as in wine education. So far her wines gained over 200 medals on most prestigious international wine competitions and were served on tables of the White house, Kremlin, Royal Couple of Japan and Prince of Monaco.
And what do you think?
Organic certified vineyard and winery. The main principle is respect for nature. They do not use chemistry commonly used in conventional agriculture. Their work is mainly based on prevention. The farm is ecologically (biodynamically) and as such cannot be a monoculture. So you will find there, apart from noble shrubs, an orchard with old varieties of fruit trees and other plants traditionally grown in Poland, as well as bees using their nectar.
TOURIST OFFER: We offer several ways to spend your free time in a vineyard. All animations can be conducted in English or French and other languages selected by you. The offer for organized groups. Reservation required at least one week in advance. The sightseeing combined with a discussion of the history of Polish wine making, varieties grown in Poland, climate specifics and tasting of wines and other regional products.
Logistic: We take your / our guests from accommodation place in Krakow or marked point. We provide transportation with comfortable mini vans or buses depending on the size of the group. A guide / tour leader / assistant speaks English or / and the language you ordered. On site we have guaranteed attractions according to a previously set detailed trip plan. We do not combine groups. The wine tour is dedicated to organized [small / bigger] groups. A wine tour lasts ~~ 4h [including journey to the wineyard].
Trips for children and youth.
Polish flavors – a itinerary for children and youth. A walk through the vineyard and among plants traditionally grown in Poland (buckwheat, flax, mustard), wild crops. Discussion about their use in traditional Polish cuisine.
Tasting of cold pressed natural juices and oils. Animations developing sensory sensitivity and fragrance memory adapted to the age of the group. Duration: 90 min. Offer for at least 15 people.
Journey into the past – visits to the mammoth and delicacies of Slavic ancestors. Walk through the vineyard. Visiting the archaeological site. A discussion about the cuisine of ancient Slavs. Tasting of natural juices, cold-pressed oils and delicacies of our ancestors. Duration: 90 min. Offer for at least 15 people.
Some Wine Bars in Krakow, I recommend the trail of naturalistic and eco wine bars: 1) Naturalists on ul. Nowa 2) Wine bar Lustra on ul. Bocheńska 3) Charry from the training ground on ul. Dajwór. These are places that serve really good wines from proven winemakers.
Dumplings Workshops. Dumpling making contest. Dumpling making course.
I recommend pierogi making workshops to everyone – it’s a hit! The competition brings a lot of fun, integration, and you can try this popular dish.
Dumplings in Poland have different fillings. Depending on the season. The filling in dumplings popular in Poland is: cottage cheese, boiled potatoes, fried onion, pepper and salt. This simple recipe makes great taste. Especially if the dumplings are a bit fried. We also have a popular filling with meat, spinach, sour cabbage but my favorite is the filling with cabbage and forest mushrooms! So when autumn is approaching – I am very happy. 🙂 We have forests full of mushrooms in Poland and we are happy to pick them up.
Sweet dumplings, such as strawberries, plums and blueberries, and even cherries and sour cherries, are also very popular. We must add sweet cream to the sweet dumplings obligatory 😉
Each of the participants has their own workplace and products from which they will make their own dumplings. Everyone will get a rolling pin, so watch out for your head;) and an obligatory apron. enjoy and have fun. Other details when ordering. info@krakowtourguide.info
History of Dumplings
According to the legend.
Dumplings were first made in the 3rd century AD by a sage of Chinese medicine, Zhang Zhongjing, who decided that the best cure for his neighbors earache would be lamb wrapped in dough with chili and medicinal herbs. To this day, it is customary in China to greet the New Year with a plate of dumplings (Jiao ze). Those who find a coin hidden in the filling are believed to be lucky and prosperous for the next year. The Chinese idea came to Europe in the 13th century, to be precise, to Italy through Marco Polo. The first dumplings came to Poland thanks to the culinary fascination of Bishop Jacek Odrowąż, who tasted them during his visit to a monastery in Kiev. Hence, among other things, appeared the cry “Holy Jack with pierogi!”. Until recently, we served different pierogi on the occasion of weddings (kurniki), others at funerals (knysze), and others during the winter time of caroling (koladki).
Pierogi ruskie or polish dumplings?
Pierogi ruskie by their name are associated with Russia. However, they are not a well-known delicacy across the eastern border. Their current name is a result of historical turmoil and border changes. Russian dumplings come from Ukraine, once called Red Ruthenia, which was a part of the historical Kievan Rus. The first association of the name began to blur after the war, but our grandparents and great-grandparents still referred to Ukraine as Kievan Rus. Russian dumplings are usually stuffed with cheese or potatoes with onions and spices. In many Polish homes they are also lightly fried after being boiled. On the other hand, popular with us “uszka”, which is one of the basic ingredients of the Christmas Eve soup, we took it from Lithuania, where it is called “kolduny”. Apart from that, there are many regional varieties of stuffing and new kinds of flavors are still being created.
Every country has its own customs.
Pierogi can be found in many countries around the world, but they are differentiated by their filling, method of cooking or preparation of dough. Depending on the country, they also have their specific names and are considered a traditional element of national cuisine.
In China, they are won tons, traditionally stuffed with ground pork, shrimp and mushrooms and seasoned with soy sauce.
Japanese gyoza, often steamed, are also stuffed with meat but seasoned with ginger and garlic, and their secret is a very thin dough.
Italians, on the other hand, adapted the recipe for dumplings in their own characteristic way – they made them smaller and began to serve instead of pasta. The filling of tortellini or ravioli is ricotta, mushrooms, meat, spinach, or seasonal vegetables.
Spanish calzones are similar to pizzas in their dough, large pancakes are filled and folded in half to resemble a dumpling, then baked and served with sauce.
Mexican empanadas are usually stuffed with meat, vegetables or cheese and fried in oil or baked on a sheet pan.
Brazilian coxinas resemble chicken legs in name and shape. The dough for coxinas is made from flour, eggs and the broth in which the chicken was cooked. Thus, the stuffing consists of chicken and natural cream cheese, and the dumplings are breaded and deep-fried.
Jewish kreplach dumplings, are classic dumplings made of familiar dumpling dough, triangular in shape, stuffed most often with well-seasoned beef or cheese, and deep-fried.
In Greece, they are tiropitakia, dumplings made of filo dough, stuffed most often with feta or other cheeses, seasoned with local herbs and baked in the oven.
In Ukraine, there are pielmieni or vareniki. Pielmieni is a type of dumpling stuffed with raw meat.
Where six housewives…
Popular in Poland, cabbage and mushroom dumplings can be prepared in many ways. There are two schools of pierogi making. One of them says that no egg should be added to the dough. Then, the dough will be more elastic and the dumplings will be thin. The other one says that if you add an egg, the dumplings will taste better and the dough will have a nicer color. Another important issue is preparing the right stuffing. Some people prefer soaked mushrooms, which are already soft enough to be chopped and fried with onion. Others prefer to cook mushrooms beforehand, so that the filling is more digestible. It is worth trying different ways of preparing pierogi and choose the one that suits you best. Unfortunately, before the dumplings end up on your plate, you need to work hard. Making dough, stuffing and kneading is quite a time-consuming process.