Solaris Wine: What on Earth Is Poland’s Most Planted Grape Variety?
When people learn that wine is made in Poland, they tend to be surprised. What surprises them even more is that Solaris is the most widely planted grape variety in the country.
Solaris is a white grape variety developed by Dr Norbert Becker at the State Institute of Viticulture in Freiburg (Germany) in the 1970s. Dr Becker also bred Souvignier Gris, Muscaris and Cabernet Cortis. Busy, busy, busy! Anyways, Solaris is a cross between Merzling and a variety with a very endearing name - Gm 6493. Dr Becker had a clear outcome in mind: he wanted to create an early-ripening, fungus-resistant variety suitable for growing in a cool climate, exactly the kind of climate found in Poland. And he succeeded.
Solaris belongs to a group of fungus-resistant grape varieties commonly known as PIWIs, from the German pilzwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten (fungus-resistant grape varieties).
Why is it called Solaris? Because it loves the sun and uses it to the full to accumulate sugars quickly and reliably, even in cool climates with a short growing season. It's often among the first varieties to be harvested. Hot off the press - Winnica Turnau started its harvest on September 3rd 2026 and reported that Solaris is the first grape to be harvested indeed.
Why is Solaris so important in Polish wine?
Even though it was bred in Germany, the Solaris plantings in Germany are small. In Poland, on the other hand, Solaris has become one of the backbones of Polish winemaking. It’s the most widely planted grape variety amongst both white and black varieties. It covers 163.9 hectares - around 16% of Poland's total vineyard area. For reference, the second most widely planted variety across the country is Riesling, with 93.2 hectares under vine. Fun fact: Winnica Turnau in Western Pomerania has the largest contiguous planting of Solaris in Europe.
It’s easy to see why Solaris got so much traction in the country. It ripens successfully in Poland’s cool climate due to its ability to accumulate sugars reliably. It’s early-ripening so it escapes autumn rains and sudden temperature drops towards the end of the season, especially in inland Poland, where the climate is continental. Finally, it's fungus resistant so the fungal pressure is reduced. That is not to say that Solaris doesn’t have its challenges - it’s very vigorous hence requires active canopy management. It also buds early, making it vulnerable to spring frosts.
What does Solaris wine taste like?
The answer is everyone’s favourite - it depends. It's a versatile grape variety and therefore produces a range of wine styles, from leaner, citrusy expressions to fuller-bodied, riper styles with tropical fruit aromas. It’s very responsive to grape-growing and winemaking decisions, such as the date of harvest, yield, fermentation and ageing in stainless steel or oak, lees contact, and so on. Common aromas include citrus, apple, elderflower and stone fruit, progressing to tropical fruit with ripeness. It is generally fruity and medium- to full-bodied, with high acidity.
Is Solaris a sweet wine?
Good question. It can be but it doesn’t have to! Solaris is made at virtually every sweetness level, from dry and off-dry through to medium-sweet and sweet wines, including late-harvest and ice wine methods, to name just a couple. Some of the dessert expressions of Solaris being made in Poland are phenomenal given that high residual sugar is balanced very well by high acidity characteristic for cool climate wines.
One of the best-known Polish Solaris examples comes from Winnica Turnau in Western Pomerania. Its Solaris is dry and fermented in stainless steel, with high acidity and aromas of citrus, apple, pear, stone fruit and banana.
Winnica Saganum in Lubuskie, on the other hand, produces a sweet expression of Solaris called Solarctic. The grapes were harvested late and chilled at the winery to -25°C before pressing, resulting in a concentrated, full-bodied wine with aromas of honey, dried pineapple and dried mango, its sweetness balanced by high acidity.
References
Bońkowski, W. (2024) ‘Pan Polska’, Polityka, nr 31 (3474), 24.07–30.07.2024, p. 97.;
Izba Win Polskich (2026) Stan polskiego winiarstwa w I kwartale 2026 r., available at: https://iwp.org.pl/stan-polskiego-winiarstwa-w-i-kwartale-2026-r/ (Accessed 3rd September 2026);
Krajowy Ośridek Wsparcia Rolnictwa (2026) Wykazy/Rejestry, available at: https://www.gov.pl/web/kowr/wykazy--rejestry (Accessed 3rd September 2026).