Il Paradiso di Frassina in Warsaw
Our first encounter with Beata Gaweda, a brilliant sommelier and longtime friend of Il Paradiso di Frassina, dates back to the early 2000s.
At the time our wines had just landed across the Channel, in London, where twenty years ago niches of lovers of good food and good wine made the capital the beating heart of international food and wine.
And it is precisely here that Beata discovers her passion and her talent as a sommelier, which she will take with her to Poland, together with the wines of Il Paradiso di Frassina, also known as the Vineyard of Mozart.
Trip to Warsaw
Once in Warsaw, the cold November soon vanishes, thanks to the warm and thoughtful welcome of Beata Gaweda.
I’m in the Polish capital to meet sommeliers, wine lovers and journalists who have long known the wines of Il Paradiso di Frassina, distributed in the network of restaurants and wine bars owned by Beata and her husband Daniel Pawelek.
Weaving their experience with the creativity of emerging generations, Beata and Daniel are relaunching the Polish capital’s food and wine scene with nine venues, which we have the pleasure of exploring.
The first meeting sees us around an elegantly set table at ‘Le braci’: an Italian restaurant where culinary flair and quality products crown our tasting.
For the occasion, we taste some historic vintages to offer a taste that opens up the history and evolution of musical wines.
The next two appointments will be at ‘Grono’, a small but well-stocked wine shop and ‘Butcher & Wine’, a young and warm space with a slightly industrial look, specialized in pairing meats and wines.
Between one tasting and another, I have the opportunity to tell the story of the man who whispers to the vineyards, Carlo Cignozzi, and of his adventures in setting the Sangiovese vines to music and in personifying the character of the 12 UVE vines in a ‘di vino commedia‘.
The last stop is Konesser Grill, in the thriving district of Prague. And it is here that we say goodbye to Warsaw and to the dear Beata, with the certainty that we will see each other again soon.
