A Wine and Cheese Tasting with Daria Kosińska of Local Dairy, Sery Kosińscy

For Wschowa-based affineur and cheese monger,  Daria Kosińska, hospitality comes as second nature. Her family diary, Sery Kosińscy, is located a stone’s throw from the castle and receives guests daily. Pulling double duty as family homestead and micro-diary; it is best taken in at a relaxed pace whereby life’s little details—and exquisite farm-to-table goods—can be savored with delight, and if you’re lucky… a little polish fruit wine.

Located within a comfortable 7 km bike-ride away, the excursion outside of Osowa Sien towards her shop in Siedlnice is an ideal way to spend an afternoon. Starting at the palace, trace the footsteps of pilgrims along St. James Way; following them through charming farms and fields of wild flowers. After a few kilometres, this route leads into the Wschowa/Fraustadt historic city centre, a royal vestige, and through to the tree-lined lanes of the countryside beyond.

Once arrived, with a quick knock at the front door, a small shop reveals itself. Here, a garage-like door rolls away to show a charming wood-clad stand suitable for just a handful of guests. From her side of the stall, Daria proceeds to spoil all in attendance with a generous tasting, while discussing her slow food philosophy, cheese aging processes, and passion.

After mere moments, it becomes clear that the Sery Kosińscy is quite the family business. For starters, 100% of the cow milk is sourced via her brother-in-law and the cheese is all made behind this quaint shop.

Each step of the way, quality is the basis of all that they do. The cows eat all natural food that is VLOG certified (free from GMO). The cattle are raised hormone-free, and instead the farm is purposefully home to French Montbeliard and Holstein-Friesian breeds; both of which are proven dairy cows known for their natural good genes (and health).

Currently the farm is home to around 40 such bovine animals, although the number changes as baby calves are born on the farm each year.

With excellent quality feed and plenty of room to roam (the cows graze freely outdoors), the Kosińscy animals are very happy. That happiness, combined with technical prowess back at the dairy from Daria’s husband, translates into delicious tasting and artisanal dairy goods.

This spring, her latest batches of soft cheese rounds from cow’s milk are a big hit with guests. Made in the camembert—style, these are the first types to quickly fill the checkered linens of the shop’s main countertop as visitors arrive. Each of these cheeses is grouped based on age, a part of their natural flavouring process, known as blooming.

When these white cheeses are ready for eating, they are sliced into strips or little wedges. Less is more with such a indulgent cheese, and strips are best for enjoying ontop of a crostini, for example.

With the first bite, these bloomed cheese reveals as refined and creamy, while the younger the cheese, the more addictively tangy they are.

During our last tasting, it was not long before Daria opened the fridge to present her latest work: massive orange wheels in the gouda style. Undergoing their own distinct ageing process, they’ll be available to consumers in the near future. For now, the shop is a showcase for both tempting young and aged rounds available for immediate purchase: from smokey cow’s milk cheese stuffed with cranberries, to beautifully marbled blue cheese.

Sampling a couple cheeses including the bloomed, camembert-like rounds and the blue is a delight. The quality is apparent with every bite. Thanks to the quality, in moderation, these cheeses leave guest feeling more elated than heavy.

For lovers of soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, Daria’s gets a repeated jaw-dropping “wow” from those trying it for the first time.

For future self-catering group stays booked-in at the castle, this family dairy can stock the castle kitchen ahead of arrival.

Individual overnight visitors to the castle will also be able to partake in the diary’s seasonal cheese selection. The castle kitchen features this dairy’s fresh cottage cheese and artisanal regional-style rounds during breakfast, and aged, and flavoursome slices in the evening’s degustation dinners. The degustation dinners may be ordered in advance of arrival and will be served on tiered trays to present a variety of artisanal goods and homemade tastes well suited for sharing. These are particularly lovely when paired with a bottle of local craft beer or wine. Ordering in advance, ensures your foodie preferences will be easily accommodated for.

When it is time to head out from the castle, buying wheels of cheese to-go (for a picnic, or to enjoy at home) is also possible. When doing so, Daria suggests complimenting the soft cheese rounds from cow’s milk with light-bodied fruit wines, such as those made from red currants. Lucky visitors to Sery Kosińscy may even get to sample such combinations from time to time; and should you like help in coordinating a tasting during your visit to the palace, just email concierge@palaceosowasien.com before hand, to facilitate arrangements.

For those unfamiliar with fruit wines which are traditionally very popular in Poland, note that a brut sparkling wine, grauburgunder (pinot gris), or grüner veltiner would go well with the diary’s camembert-style cheeses.

For the fresh soft wheels in a local style; young, dry, and light-to-medium bodied grape wines make for an excellent accompaniment. And, for bolder flavours such as the fully bloomed and aged cheeses including pungent blue, a vintage wine or port will do.

When searing for more ideas during a tasting, it is always worth it to ask Daria about her suggestions because she seems to effortlessly turn just about any table into a sensational spread.

For those who purchase some cheese to take back home, these marinated olives are always a good addition. Serve this savory-set alongside some crackers or crusty bread. And, for an elegant summer-ready salad course, a clever combination of ripened cantaloupe, beautifully marbled blue, and prosciutto may be assembled as a salad, skewer, or degustation board.

Getting hungry? Guests of the castle may visit the diary’s shop, which may be easily arranged with a courtesy call made in advance. For additional services such as hosted tastings, or butter making classes back at the castle, please e-mail jamie@castlerental.pl

Szmacznego!

Sery Kosińscy / +48 726 352 515

Siedlnica, 67-400 1CA