The Adoria winery is another pioneer of Polish viticulture. It was only founded in 2005, but the history of modern viticulture in Poland only really began when the country entered the 21st century. Curiously, the Adoria winery was founded by the American Mike Whitney, an engineer who met his wife while working in Poland and then decided to change careers. But he didn't start out completely uninitiated. After all, his uncle was a lecturer in viticulture at the University of Oregon. He looked at over 300 different locations until he found his ideal site about 30 minutes' drive south of Wroclaw. Insiders like to refer to this corner of the country as the "Tuscany" of Poland. It is therefore fitting that Mike Whitney was advised by Alessandro Spatafora from the University of Siena. Mike Whitney carries out all the work on his almost 4 hectares of vines entirely by hand. The Piwi varieties that are usually planted in Polish vineyards are nowhere to be found in Michael Whitney's vineyards; he relies on Chardonnay, Riesling, Bacchus and Pinot Noir, although Spatafora expressly advised him against the latter variety. However, since Decanter awarded the 2015 vintage 90 points, the debate has ended and experts have confirmed that this Pinot Noir would also cut a dazzling figure in international comparative tastings. His example has set a precedent, as other wineries have now set up shop here, some of which even supply grapes to Adoria, but which must of course meet Mike Whitney's high standards. Gone are the days when things went wrong for the self-taught Whitney, for example when the bottles of sparkling wine exploded in his overly warm cellar. Today, the boutique winery is on the road to success.
