Polish Wine and Mead Makers Association The Association was formally registered in the year 2004 and its statutory registered office is in Warsaw. It was created by the most active amateur wine makers gathered around the Internet portal www.wino.org.pl which came into existence over three years ago. So far the most important part of the portal has been its discussion forum (www.wino.org.pl/forum) which is a meeting place for thousands of wine and mead makers from Poland and abroad. Everyone can seek there advice from more experienced friends, participate in discussions and support other wine enthusiasts. The forum provides information where to purchase appropriate equipment, material and grapevine cuttings or to use the opportunity to exchange. Novice grapevine growers can take advantage of the expertise of their experienced colleagues. Beside wine enthusiasts, the Association also gathers mead makers, whose mead can easily compete with the mead produced by professionals. Our specialists in liqueurs are successful in all-Poland competitions. Grapevine growers on the other hand attempt at planning, planting and running modern vineyards and import first-grade material even from abroad. Finally we promote wine and return to the Old Polish culinary art trying at the same time not to neglect the cuisine from different parts of the world. At present the Association has over 50 members in the whole Poland. The largest two groups are active in Warsaw and Lower Silesia (Dolny Slask, south-eastern part of our country), where the Association has its Lower Silesian branch in Olesnica. We have also created the Committee for Grapevines and Vineyards,the purpose of which is to promote viticulture in less favorable regions of our country. For example one of the members of this Section has a vineyard in the vicinity of Suwalki, north-eastern Poland. The President of the Association Board is Mr. Witold Cyranowicz from Parpary, Pomorskie Province, (witold.cyranowicz@wino.org.pl).From the year 2003 Association members, as well as the related circles, have organized regular rallies and workshops concerning winemaking. Summer rallies are held in Parpary, in springtime we meet in the hostel on Hala Szrenicka, in autumn (in November) at workshops in Usnice (Pomerania Province), whereas the traditional meeting place in winter is Olesnica, where this year’s rally held from 18 to 20 February is organized by the local branch of our Association. In August 2004 our members managed to win twice the first place at the Home Made Wine Festival in Sopot. Another all-Poland event, co-organized by our Association is the Festival of Liqueurs and Mead, which will be held in Sobieski Hotel in Warsaw at the end of February this year. The festival finishes on 1 March with liqueur competition and tasting of best wines and meads. The Association promotes the revival of Polish tradition of wine and mead making, which is reflected in the titles of Association Board members: The President is the Grand Butler of the Crown, Vice-Presidents are Cubbearers of the Crown, Secretary uses the title of the Secretary of the Crown, whereas the Treasurer is the Undertreasurer of the Crown.