Event archive

A perfect match? Or not a good pairing? Let's find out at this, the first Kania Lodge event at which we are putting the two together with the help of  Andrzej Bobinski, managing director of Polityka Insight. Andrzej has kindly accepted our invitation to provide some unbiased insights into the current state of play in Polish politics and to look at the challenges facing the coalition during the year ahead. While he's doing so, you'll be tasting five wines which host John Borrell reckons will go well with Andrzej's keen insights and balanced prognosis - and with any questions you care to put to him. We see Polityka Insight as probably Poland's best source of political analysis and  business intelligence since it tells things as they are. Its 20 full time political, economic and social analysts provide level-headed daily updates on what is going on, updates that happily are available in both Polish and English. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

So popular was last autumn's whisky event that we've invited international scotch whisky ambassador, Martyn O'Reilly, to fly in from Edinburgh again and take guests on a tasting tour of five of Scotland's most famous whisky-producing regions. The single malts for this tasting will all be from outstanding but little-known craft producers. In fact, Martyn promises that not one of the whisky’s he'll be opening will you have ever seen in a duty free store. During the tasting he'll also introduce guests to haggis, Scotland's much-loved savoury meat dish lauded by the poet Robert Burns as the "great chieftain of the pudding race." If you've a kilt and sporran you are welcome to join Martyn in showing off your Celtic sartorial chic during what will be an informative and collegial event. But please leave the bagpipes at home. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

Italian Prosecco outsells Spanish Cava by well over two to one when it comes to worldwide sales of sparkling wines. Yet many believe that Spanish Cava  is classier. It's certainly closer in style and taste to Champagne, the benchmark sparkling wine against all others are judged. There are several good reasons why including, as with champagne, a second fermentation in the bottle. Now some Cava producers are nudging even closer in style to their French competitor by  turning to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes rather than using Paradella, Xarel-lo and Macabeo, the traditional Spanish varietals for Cava. Our guest, Juan Miguel Gomez from Cavas Marevia in Requena, Valencia, will tell you more about this fascinating trend while you taste five outstanding new Cavas. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

Our sister company, Wine Express, has just begun working with a new Italian partner, Zorzettig, from Friuli in the north-east corner of Italy. That's where some of Italy's most interesting whites and unsung reds are produced from grapes like Friulano, Malvasia, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco and Schioppettino. You can taste all these wines and more under the tutorship of Zorzettig's Alan Gaddi, a born and bred Friulian winemaker, sommelier and export manager responsible for some 40 countries worldwide. He'll be with us at the lodge the weekend of 17/18 May and make his presentation in the tarasola overlooking the lodge's own vineyard and the lake. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

Never tasted a silky barrel-fermented Viura from Rioja or crisp Verdejo from Rueda or one of Yecla's voluptuous Monastrells? Then join Polish wine celebrity Tomasz Kolecki for his tutored tasting of these as well as outstanding Tempranillos from the famous Rioja and Ribero del Duero wine producing regions. You'll probably know Tempranillo as is Spain's flagship grape variety, used to produce more than 40% per cent of the country's wines. But there's Tempranillo and Tempranillo. Tomasz, who has been Polish sommelier of the year on several occasions and is President of the Polish Sommelier's Association, will guide you through the Tempranillo lexicon of crianza, reserva and grand reserva and be opening the much celebrated Rioja de la Familia Reserva from Luis Canas for you to taste.The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

Last summer it was jazz, this year the Agnieszka and Andrzej Sowa duo on piano and violin will treat us to the mood setting and gently flowing rhythms of the French impressionists, Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Massenet, Saint - Saëns and Satie. What could be more in tune musically on a summer's day with blankets spread out on the lawn and a glass of chilled white wine to hand? Agnieszka and Andrzej have played at venues around the world including New Zealand where, coincidentally, Saint - Saëns's piece The Swan helped bring ballerina Anna Pavlova fame and fortune during her tours there at the beginning of the 20th century. The ethereal music and her performance in tutu skirt, silk bodice and goose feathers also gave birth to New Zealand's famous light and airy dessert, Pavlova. We'll be serving our much-loved version of it during the concert intermission. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

One of life's small pleasures is settling into a comfortable lounger on a sunlit terrace with a glass of chilled white wine and a gripping best seller to hand. We can set you up nicely for this at Kania where we've hundreds of wines on our list and good friends like best-selling author Maciej Siembieda. He'll be with us the afternoon of June 22 to talk about his thriller '444' which has been such a success that it's being reprinted this spring. It fictionalises the real life story of the theft of the painting 'Bapitism of Varna' by Jan Matejko and is gripping from start to finish. Maciej has written nine thrillers in all and he'll talk to you about writing while we entertain you with a tasting of five wines from which to choose when later you relax into your lounger with a gift copy of '444'. The event is without cost to weekend guests at Kania Lodge. For event - only guests with a reservation, the price is 200 PLN per person.

Jazz - a tribute to the famous American pianist and vocalist Shirley Horn by Ilona Damiecka, Polish jazz pianist, vocalist and composer. She'll be backed by Piotr Lemanczyk on the double bass and Adam Golicki on the drums. Shirley Horn performed alongside jazz legends like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillepsie, won a grammy for her tribute to Davis and performed at the White House for several US presidents. Ilona's tribute to Shirley Horn will include songs from Here's to Life and Just in time and you can enjoy the music with a glass of wine at hand while comfortably seated in the conservatory or spread out in the park overlooking the vineyard at Kania Lodge.

Our summer concerts are without cost to weekend guests at the lodge and are open to event-only guests with confirmed reservations for just 150 zl per person, intermission wines included.

Agnieszka and Andrzej Sowa’s French impressionist concert in the Spring was much loved by guests and they’ve kindly agreed to an encore autumn performance. What could be more in tune musically on a (hopefully) sunny autumn day than listening to Debussy, Ravel, Faure, Massenet, Saint -Saens and Satie with a glass of chilled white wine in hand? The couple have played at venues around the world, including New Zealand, where Saint-Saens piece the Swan helped bring fame and fortune to ballerina Anna Pavlova at the beginning of the 20^th century. The ethereal music and her performance in tutu skirt, silk bodice and goose feathers helped give birth to New Zealand’s light an airy dessert, Pavlova. We’ll be serving the lodge’s much-loved version of it during the intermission.

Tired of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and reds like Primitivo? Then join us as one of Poland’s best-known sommeliers and wine educators, Andrzej Strzelczyk, introduces some stunning wines made from little-known grape varieties from around the world. If you’ve never heard of or tasted wines made Hungarian Furmint, Italian Schioppettino, Ribolla Gialla, Pecorino and Nero di Troia, Portuguese Susao or Chilean Sauvignon Gris, then Andrzej’s tasting is the place to be. You’ll be setting out on an exciting voyage of discovery of an entirely new world of wine, one which incorporates scores of largely unknown and unsung grape varieties enjoying a revival at the hands of some of the world’s best and most interesting wine makers.

We've invited Kasia back for the third time because few people know more about Polish wine and those making it it than winemaker, educator and now author, Kasia Korzeń. Her recently published book, “Polskie Wino, ludzie, miesjsca, historie”, tells the story of more than 20 vineyards the length and breadth of Poland. It's a great read and Kasia will tutor a tasting of wines from six of them during this Saturday event. She also talk about how Polish wine is doing in general and how climate change is slowly allowing growers to plant new grape varieties in places once regarded as too cold to support them.

A fireside encounter with the author of Depth (Ton), a novel which tells the absorbing tale of several commingled Polish, German and Lithuanian families from East Prussia from the time of the Soviet capture of Koningsberg and Rastenburg, now Ketrzyn, as World War II drew to a close. Ishbel, born and raised in Olsztyn and now a playwright living in Krakow, honed her novel from carefully researched historical material and family lore. The book was longlisted for two prestigious literary awards and is to be published in German next year. During the fireside meeting with Ishbel, you'll get to taste several great wines from the Kania Lodge cellar.

Best known for centuries for its sweet, amber coloured wines, the Tokaj region of Hungary is forging a new reputation for stellar dry white wines made from the same Furmint grape used to produce the finest six puttonyos aszu dessert wines. The new internationally acclaimed dry Furmints have complex flavours with distinctive notes of honey, wildflowers and apricots and just 2-3 grams/litre of residual sugar compared to well over 100 in a Tokaj dessert wine. Learn more from Laszlo and Marianna Pelle, pioneer dry Furmint producers, who'll be flying in specially for this tasting of their finest sweet and dry Furmints and to tell you much more about how  Hungarian wine production has changed and developed since the end of the communist era.

We'll celebrate Kania Lodge's reopening after the winter break with a lunch and tutored wine tasting of Rioja. Tutoring the event will be Frank Telling from Bodega Luis Canas, one of the Rioja region's most celebrated wineries, and Tomasz Kolecki, president of the Polish Sommelier’s Association. So this will be an opportunity to learn everything you could ever want to know  about Rioja.  There'll be a three-course lunch too in the conservatory overlooking the Kania Lodge vineyard.

The price for degustation is 200 zl per person.

The price for lunch and degustation is 300 zl per person.

Learn how to cook some of the lodge's best-loved dishes with owner Ania Borrell and Chef Maria Lejkowska as the first of the many wild plants which find their way into our cuisine become available. They include  the ubiquitous stinging nettle, cursed by farmers and gardeners alike but which we use to make a much-loved frittata, one which Ania cooked last year on a national television programme with Jacek Szklarek president of Slowfood Polska (pictured). Then Maria will take you step by step through the making of our ever-popular beetroot fritters, served here year-round with wild salmon and garlic-infused yoghurt. She'll also share secrets on how to put together the the world's best Pavlova, one we top with chokeberries foraged from bushes on our farm. There'll be no need to write down recipes for any of these new dishes because they, and many others, can be found in Kania on a plate, a recently published book on our adventures with food and wine over the last three decades. Each guest during this culinary weekend will receive a complimentary copy of the book and a glass of wine from the lodge vineyard. The price is 250 zl per person.

We're proud to announce that four of Poland's leading jazz musicians will be performing at the Kania Lodge garden party. Maciej Sikala, Piotr Lemancyzk, Marcin Wadolowski and Adam Golicki have performed at prestigious jazz events in score of countries worldwide and happily will be at the lodge to play a tribute to the legendary Miles Davis. We've ordered warm, sunny weather for the event which will be held n the park next to the lodge vineyard. Fingers crossed. We'll be offering a selection of summer wines during the event and guests can dine with us before or afterwards. Tickets for the event are 200 zl per person and include a complimentary glass of our new awarded-winning Spanish Cava. Reservations are essential.

Fifth generation family-owned and managed Casa Silva boasts proudly to have won more awards for its wines than any other Chilean producer. You can savour some of these premium award-winning wines while nibbling on Chile's famous empanadas de pino at Kania Lodge's opening tutored tasting for the autumn season. It will be hosted by Manuel Gomez from Casa Silva who will also introduce guests to pisco sours made with fermented and distilled grape juice from the Kania Lodge vineyard. After the tasting event in the lodge orangerie there'll a typical Chilean asado  at which chicken, pork, beef and chorrizo will be grilled to perfection on the embers of a wood fire. The wine and empanada tasting is without cost to weekend guests at the lodge and 200 zl to day guests with reservations.

When the Soviet Union deported Poles from Lvov and other parts of Galicia in 1944, lodge owner Ania' Borrell’s family brought with it an upright piano that's now nearly 100 years old. The piano has just been completely overhauled and restored and teenage Ukrainian concert pianist Khrystyna Mykhailichenko, herself a refugee from Moscow's latest meddling with the region's borders, will be at Kania Lodge with her sister Sasha, a violinist, for the inaugural performance on it.

A celebration of our food, wine and spirits for the launch of John's new book, Kania on a plate. It's the story of John and Ania Borrell's adventures with food and wine since opening Kania Lodge nearly 30 years ago and is the final book in John’s trilogy of memoirs. Several of the lodge's signature dishes will be on the menu and guests will be invited to taste our own wine and grappa. They'll also receive complimentary signed copies of the English or Polish (Kania na Talerzu) versions of the book. In it there are recipes and pictures as well as the entertaining story behind the lodge’s food and wine. Complimentary sparkling and other wines will be served at the launch.

Our traditional New Year’s Eve party is back on the calendar this year. As always there will be a six course dinner – this year with our own home-reared Kaszubian lamb as the main course – matched with a selection of fine wines from the Kania Lodge cellar. At midnight when the sky lights up with fireworks, there’ll be Champagne and our celebrated fruit and nut cake. The all-inclusive price for the evening is 650 zl per person. A minimum two night stay is required at New Year.

Two nights for the price of one

Forget about winter and take yourself off to warmer climes at Kania Lodge where we'll be having our first wine weekend of the year and you'll get to stay two nights for the price of one.

Here's the deal.

* A tutored tasting with sommelier Wojciech Boguniecki of eight outstanding wines from Ribera del Duero and Rueda (four whites, four reds including a  mouth watering Gran Reserva from Bodegas Palacio)

* Eight different tapas to choose from at dinner,  including albondigas, spicy Spanish meatballs.

* After dinner tasting of Kania Lodge's limited edition craft vodka, aged for five years in Spanish oak sherry barrels.

All inclusive price 230 zl per person.

Enjoy the changing colours and the bracing air of rural Kaszubia at one of our two nights-for-the-price-of-one weekends in October and November. This is one of the most beautiful times of the year at Kania Lodge and as always there'll be log fires along with the fine wine and great food.

For the safety and comfort of our guests, we are letting just half of our 16 rooms for these autumn weekends. This will ensure generous social distancing and, in line with WHO guidelines, allow us to leave rooms unoccupied between bookings for a minimum of 72 hours.  More information and booking please contact with us by email: info@kanialodge.com.pl or by phone +48 681 06 77.

Would you like to learn to read a wine label like an expert? Or know what to look out for when buying wine in a shop? Or how to order more confidently from a wine list in a fancy restaurant? Or develop the ability to identify different wines with just your nose?

Then sign up for the Polish Wine Academy’s WSET course to be held at Kania Lodge in the autumn. It will be conducted by Andrzej Strzelczyk, one of Poland’s top wine educators and twice winner of the Polish Sommelier Championship. Andrzej is officially accredited by The Wine and Spirit Education Trust in London to run their courses which lead to internationally recognized certificates at three different levels.

At Kania Lodge date for WSET are:

Level 2 - 17:30-21:00                                                               Level 3 - 10:30-13:30

28-29.09.2020                                                                           28-29.09.2020

05-06.10.2020                                                                           05-06.10.2020

12.10.2020                                                                                12-13.10.2020

* 13.10.2020 - exam day at 17:30                                          19-20.10.2020

                                                                                                 * 02.11.2020 - exam day at 10:00

Learn more and sign up for the course beginning in October at https://andrzejstrzelczyk.pl/oferta/kursy-wines-spirits-education-trust/

50% discount on Kania Lodge room rate for participants.

Wine tour to Lebanon which will include direct flights to Beirut from Warsaw with LOT and accommodation in the seaside 5 star Byblos Sur Mer Hotel. Byblos, a Christian town north of Beirut, has been Phoenecian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Crusader at different times in history. While in Lebanon we'll visit Beirut, the famous Roman temple to Bacchus in Baalbek and enjoy a tour and picnic lunch at the Domaine Tourelles winery. If you are interested please register and we'll provide more details as we obtain them.

Do you know the right from the left when it comes to Bordeaux? Join us on the weekend 5th-6th of October if you don’t – and even if you do. At a tutored tasting led by Tomasz Kolecki we’ll be pouring classic Bordeaux from both the left and right banks of the river which divides the region and its wines in two. Amongst others, there’ll be 2004, 2010 and 2011 Grand Cru vintages from St Estephe, Margaux and Graves on the left bank and 2008 and 2010 Premier Grand Cru from St Emilion on the right bank. You’ll also get to taste and evaluate a 2014 Coleraine from New Zealand, one of the best Bordeaux-style wines from the New World.

Price: 225 zl per person

Pies are a much-loved signature dish at Kania Lodge and Maria Lejkowska, our chef, is probably the best pie maker inn the whole of Poland. If you'd like to learn how to make delicious beef, chicken and fish pies sign up for our show with Maria on weekend 09 November. We will give you to taste glass of our the best wine from Kania Lodge winery.

It is free attraction for guest who stay at Kania Lodge.

Special offer for long weekend "Stay 3 nights pay only for 2".

Everyone in Poland seems to love Primitivo, that voluptuous, soft and fruity wine from Puglia in Italy. We've half a dozen Primitivos on our list, including the amazing Primitivo di Manduria Dunico from Felline.

John will conduct a tutored tasting of Primivito and it's American cousin Zinfandel on Saturday 23 November.

He will also opening some new Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Price is 100 zl per person.

Special offer stay 2 nights pay only for 1. 

Thanksgiving is one of America's most important holidays and we'll be preparing a traditional thanksgiving turkey  dinner with all the trimmings on the evening of Thursday, November 28.

The price of 155 zl per person includes a pre-dinner wine tasting conducted by host, John Borrell.

Reservations required.We are also offering a 'two nights for the price one" stay at Kania Lodge at any time between November 27 and December.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has taken the world, including Poland, by storm. We are proud to have imported the first ever NZ to Poland more than 20 years ago and we'll be celebrating that anniversary with a tutored tasting during which you get to try seven of NZ's very best Sauvignon Blancs. Price 135 zl per person.

Our traditional New Year's Eve party starts with Champagne and canapes next to the fireplace in the lounge and is followed by a five-course dinner, the menu for which will be available shortly. Award winning wines are poured with each course along with our five-year-old oak aged Kania vodka as an after dinner digestif. A glass of NZ sparkling wine is served with a special fruit and nut cake as the New Year is rung in as fireworks light up the night sky.

The all inclusive price is 385 zl per person.

Minimum stay at New Year is two nights. This year if you stay for three, the third night is complimentary.

Each of our 16 rooms and suites is different.  Check individual rooms and prices, which include breakfasts and taxes at https://kanialodge.com.pl/en/rooms.