A BENDIGO winemaker is gearing up for this year's vintage after spending six weeks working on vintage in Poland.
Better known for vodka and beer, Poland is home to six registered table wine producers.
Andrew Kotlarz, operations manager and winemaker at Vintage Services Australia at Bendigo, oversaw his first vintage at Adoria Vineyards, near Wroclaw, in Poland last year.
Designed and built by former US resident Mike Whitney after he moved to the country in 1995, Adoria produces about 1300 cases a year of pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay and bacchus, a white grape variety developed in Germany.
Mr Kotlarz, who speaks Polish, said he was amazed by the bureaucracy, which included a lot of paperwork, inspections of grape skins and medical examinations for all winery workers.
Despite the regulations, he said Adoria was producing high quality wines using state-of-the-art technology.
Back for the harvest in central Victoria, Mr Kotlarz said it was shaping up to be a good one after last year's disaster, when growers experienced major losses from rain and disease.
"There were some growers who didn't even get a start (last year)," he said.
"There are some very good crops around, so we're confident of a good vintage this year."
VSA was started by Mr Kotlarz and chief executive Greg Dedman after they bought the former Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE winery last year.
They plan to move the winery to a new site at Big Hill, south of Bendigo, by September.
VSA specialises in small-batch winemaking, from as little as 1 tonne of grapes up to 30 tonnes, and other technical services.
"Depending on the season, we will make 40 to 60 different wines," Mr Kotlarz said.
