Dominika Szpakowska — Sommelier & Founder
Pijalni exists because Wrocław needed a place where good wine didn't come with pretension.
From Nadodrze to Grunwald
Dominika started her wine journey at Powinno in Wrocław. Pouring wasn't enough. She wanted to understand why a Gamay from one parcel tastes completely different from the one next door.
A step further — she opened her own wine bar on Nadodrze. For many people in Wrocław, it was their first encounter with natural wine. Thirty-three square metres, a handful of stools, a list she put together herself. She'd show guests how the character of Gamay shifts depending on which parcel the grapes came from. People came by word of mouth. Then their friends came. After two years it was clear the concept needed more room.
The move to Grunwald — to Wrocławczyka 42/1U — was the decision to do this properly. A professional kitchen, more space, room for wines by the glass through Coravin. Pijalni as it is now.
Wine philosophy
WSET Level 3 with distinction — Dominika didn't do it for the certificate. She did it because she wanted to talk about wine precisely. To understand what happens in barrels, in the vineyard, in the soil. For her, natural wine isn't a trend or an aesthetic. It's a conviction that wine should taste like the place it comes from.
A harvest internship at Domaine Chapel in Beaujolais taught her the producer side. Picking grapes at five in the morning, sorting, making decisions at the press rather than in a laboratory. She came back to Wrocław certain that this was the only path — wines made by hand, from people she knows personally.
Wines by the glass
The Coravin system lets you open a bottle without exposing wine to air. In practice, it means Dominika can offer wines by the glass — from light Loire cuvées to serious Barolo. The rotation changes weekly depending on what arrives from importers and what's running low.
If you don't know much about wine, that's exactly why you should come to Pijalni. Dominika doesn't expect you to know the producers. Just say whether you want something light or heavy, fruity or mineral. She'll take it from there. See the current wine list →
Geek Wines & Bergamuty
Dominika also runs Geek Wines, an import company that brings in wines from small producers she's discovered during travels and trade fairs. Some of these wines end up on the Pijalni list, others go to restaurants and bars across Poland.
Since 2024 she co-organizes Bergamuty Wine Summer Camp — a multi-day gathering where producers, sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts meet for tastings, workshops, and conversations. Because wine isn't just a bottle on a table. It's the people who make it.
Natural wine without snobbery. Wines that taste like where they come from.