A trial of fire and frost: the 2026 grape harvest
At dawn on 7 October at Winnica Jura, pickers moved between the rows and began harvesting the Johanniter grapes. The bunches went straight to the winery, and the proprietors kept it brief. It is still too early to assess the vintage, they said.
Made with AIBy mid-October, many vineyards had already finished the 2026 harvest or were nearing the final stretch. The season threw everything it had at the vines: frosts, the highest temperature in the history of Polish records, and finally a warm, dry September. In some places yields dropped; elsewhere, growers speak of very good fruit. How this patchwork translates into wine will only become clear once the first bottles are filled.
Nights with bonfires, followed by a record measurement
A warm start to the season woke the vines ahead of time. Buds burst, and young shoots pushed upwards. That was nature's trap, because a vine that has already turned green cannot defend itself against frost. A young, succulent shoot is delicate, and a single freezing night is enough to destroy it. And the frost returned.
According to the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), frosts were frequent and severe this spring, biting deepest in April. At Winnica Skarpa Wiślana, the mercury dropped to around minus six degrees Celsius. Its owner later estimated that the fruiting wood had probably been entirely killed by the frost. Things were different in Roztocze: at Winnica Lipowiec, bonfires were lit between the rows during the freezing nights of late April and early May. A few vines in the lowest-lying spots suffered slight frost damage, particularly early varieties, but the vast majority of the vineyard was saved.
Later, the weather made a complete turnaround. The record fell on 28 June in Słubice, at 40.5 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the history of Polish meteorological measurements. The heatwave gripped the country until the end of the month.
The Institute classified September as dry. The average temperature across the whole country was 14.9 degrees Celsius, more than a degree above the norm, whilst rainfall was around 15 per cent lower than usual. What did this weather do to the grapes?
Will the 2026 vintage be a good one?
In September, Marek Dymkowski, president of the Lower Silesian Vineyards Association (Stowarzyszenie Winnice Dolnośląskie), was anticipating satisfactory yields. Following two seasons in which frosts struck most of the vines in the region, this already sounded like welcome news.
Stanisław Dębski, a grower from the same region, said he had no spring frosts at all, though sunburn occurred on the vines during the summer. He rated the fruit quality as very good, and described this year's yield as satisfactory.
These are, however, voices from Lower Silesia, not a verdict for the whole of Poland.
And what of the Johanniter harvested at dawn that October morning? A few days later, the proprietors used a film metaphor. The outdoor scenes starring Johanniter had drawn to a close, and the work had moved backstage. The premiere in the glass is expected in a year, or perhaps two. Only then will this vintage face its true verdict.
Editorial note: The quoted statements are taken from winemakers' public profiles and announcements, representing their subjective views. This material is provided for informational purposes only. Would you like to update your quote? Please email [email protected].
