Vanellus Vineyard, Jareniówka near Jasło: wine tastings

Winnica Vanellus is a small family vineyard in the village of Jareniówka, a few kilometres from the centre of Jasło. Vanellus is Latin for lapwing, “czajka” in Polish, which is also the owners' surname: Barbara and Mariusz Czajka. It all began on a summer evening in 2004, when their neighbour, winemaker Wiktor Szpak, poured them a glass of his Rondo on his terrace. The Czajkas had no idea good wine could be made in Poland, and in 2005 they planted about 300 vines in the garden by the house.

With no farming background, they trained with the Podkarpackie Winemakers' Association and the Małopolska Wine Forum and attended conventions of Polish winemakers. In 2015 the vineyard grew by another 2,000 vines, and wines have been sold since the 2016 vintage. Today it covers about a hectare with eight varieties: Johanniter, Seyval Blanc, Muscaris, Solaris, Muscat, Regent, Rondo and Cabernet Cortis. They make only dry wines, white, rosé and red, and do everything by hand: they tend every vine themselves and every bunch passes through their hands. Vanellus wines have won medals at ENOEXPO and the Polish Wine Competition in Jasło, and the owners' cherry liqueur was entered on the list of local products of the Jasło area in 2013.

Why go

• See the vineyard and the winery, talk to the winemaker and taste before you buy, right where the wine is made.
• A guided tasting of five wines with regional snacks: cheese, cured meats, bread and wild-garlic butter. Tastings take place outdoors, in a vine-covered arbour or a garden tent among the rows.
• Training and talks on growing vines and on wine, individually and by prior arrangement. Special events (May holidays, open days, themed tastings) are announced on the vineyard's Facebook page.

What to taste and buy

Muscat is the owners' favourite grape, so try the whites made from muscat varieties. Besides wine, the farm makes home-made fruit liqueurs and preserves such as wild-garlic pesto. Another local touch is the hand-made chocolate by confectioner Mirosław Pelczar, twice Polish champion: his Choco Wine line is composed to match particular wines.

Practical information

Address: Jareniówka 189, 38-200 Jasło. It is about 2.5 km from Jasło market square: 5 minutes by car or about 30 minutes on foot along Mickiewicza street; a suburban bus stop is 100 m away. Cars park at the vineyard, coaches at the car park on Mickiewicza street, 400 m away. When: all year by prior arrangement; from May to October selected bottles are opened every weekend. Prices (as of October 2026): tasting of 5 wines with snacks – 70 zł per person (groups of more than 5, booking required); for organised groups, a “quick” tasting of 3 wines of about an hour for 40 zł or a “standard” one with the winery tour and 5 wines of about two hours for 60 zł. Groups up to 30 people. Contact: +48 604 052 132 (Barbara), +48 606 934 549 (Lena), [email protected]. The owners also speak French.

Nearby

• Winnica Jasiel, the neighbour across the road where it all started; you can visit both.
• A 2 km walking path along a former railway line to the Carpathian Troy archaeological park in Trzcinica.
• Liwocz hill (562 m) with a viewing tower, the highest point around, about 10 km away.
• Other vineyards of the Jasło Wine Route, such as Dwie Granice in Przysieki.

Official website: winnicavanellus.pl

Photos: winnicavanellus.pl.