The First Harvest – A Dream Becomes Reality

September 2015 brought what we had waited so long for. After three years of patience, worry, fear of frost, and constant care, the vineyard finally rewarded us — the first grape clusters were a true miracle.

Three Years of Waiting

When we planted the first 200 vines in 2012, it was unclear whether they would even survive. Lithuania’s climate is not the most favourable for grapevines, but our father Algirdas believed that modern cold-hardy varieties — Solaris, Rondo, Johanniter — could grow and bear fruit even further north than traditional wine regions.

The first two years were a test. Frosts, diseases, droughts — each season brought new challenges. But the vines grew, strengthened, and finally in 2015, the first clusters began to appear.

Harvest Day

The harvest lasted three days. The whole family — children, grandchildren, neighbours — gathered to help. The weather was perfect: sunny, with a gentle breeze. The grapes, though small (as is typical for a first harvest), smelled wonderful.

The final count: 80 kilograms of grapes. From these, the first 30-litre barrel of wine was later produced.

The First Wine

We kept that first wine like a sacred relic. On Christmas Eve 2016, we opened the first bottle — a moment we will never forget. The wine was young, still unformed, but there was something special in it: the taste of our land, our sweat, and our dream.

Since then, every harvest is a celebration. Every bottle — a story.