Aukštaitija

Overview

Aukštaitija is the largest of Lithuania's ethnographic regions, a landscape of rolling hills, forests, and more than a thousand lakes. It has long been the cradle of Lithuanian statehood and folk culture, and in recent decades it has also become the country's most important wine region.

Anykščiai, in particular, is the historic home of Lithuanian commercial berry wine, with producers such as Anykščių vynas drawing on local strawberries, currants, apples, and other fruits. In the surrounding countryside, small growers are also trialing cold-hardy grape hybrids on sheltered sites between the lakes.

Key Varietals

• SolarisAn early-ripening white hybrid that keeps bright acidity even in short, cool summers.
• RondoA cold-hardy red hybrid producing light, fresh reds and rosés with red-berry aromas.
• StrawberryA signature Aukštaitija fruit wine, famously made into fragrant rosé-style wines around Anykščiai.
• Gailiunas SelectionsLocal hardy Lithuanian grape selections bred for severe winters and short growing seasons.