Page 221 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
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It is up to us whether we drink wine for its medicinal properties and to improve our quality
of life or as an intoxicant. My only wish is that wine should contribute to a better life and
that its drinkers should drink in the most cultured way possible. We must get to know wine
better in order to be able to drink it and enjoy the full richness of its aromas and flavours.
Then we will have a respectful attitude towards it and will know how to value it. We will
also value the winegrower, the winemaker and the vintner, who are constantly striving
towards improving the wine’s quality.
What does wine mean to me? Wine has accompanied us since the beginning of our civilisa-
tion and is thus a civilised drink. For Slovenes, wine is part of the national heritage and for
many of us even a status symbol. Nearly everyone would like to own a vineyard. Viticulture
is in Slovenia developed particularly in hilly rural areas, where it enriches the beauty of
our natural environment and offers a high yield.
In wine there is an endless wealth of aromas and flavours. This wealth originates in the
diversity of our country, both with regard to soil and climate. In wine, there is such natu-
ral richness that it needs no additives which would destroy its identity. It must remain a
natural instead of an industrial product with a uniform character. And it is precisely in its
naturalness where its mystery and romanticism lies.
Wine is like a capricious beauty – you never know how it will behave. From its makers it
demands a great deal of knowledge and an ability to recognise naturally given qualities.
When we assess wine with our hearts, it reveals to us its mystery and enriches us. Only then
we can comprehend all its goodness and begin to respect it, not become addicted.
The diversity of wines on offer provides us with the opportunity to develop modern ecologi-
cal tourism, which could help save the fragmented viticulture on Slovene hills. Tourism
offers an opportunity for additional income to small farms, ensuring their survival while
also helping to preserve the beauty of cultured landscapes and cultural heritage.
An individual winemaker can elevate wine from an agricultural product into a creative one.
Wine and art have always been intertwined. To me, the winegrowers who can inject into
wine their desires and wants – who can create something new, something better – are artists.
When someone seeks new qualities in their creations they create something of artistic value.
Am I going too far? It is no wonder that so many works of art, even at the beginning of our
civilisation, are connected with wine. Ancient Egyptian reliefs showed grapevines and the
tasks involved in winemaking. The Ancient Greeks bequeathed us numerous ornaments,
217
It is up to us whether we drink wine for its medicinal properties and to improve our quality
of life or as an intoxicant. My only wish is that wine should contribute to a better life and
that its drinkers should drink in the most cultured way possible. We must get to know wine
better in order to be able to drink it and enjoy the full richness of its aromas and flavours.
Then we will have a respectful attitude towards it and will know how to value it. We will
also value the winegrower, the winemaker and the vintner, who are constantly striving
towards improving the wine’s quality.
What does wine mean to me? Wine has accompanied us since the beginning of our civilisa-
tion and is thus a civilised drink. For Slovenes, wine is part of the national heritage and for
many of us even a status symbol. Nearly everyone would like to own a vineyard. Viticulture
is in Slovenia developed particularly in hilly rural areas, where it enriches the beauty of
our natural environment and offers a high yield.
In wine there is an endless wealth of aromas and flavours. This wealth originates in the
diversity of our country, both with regard to soil and climate. In wine, there is such natu-
ral richness that it needs no additives which would destroy its identity. It must remain a
natural instead of an industrial product with a uniform character. And it is precisely in its
naturalness where its mystery and romanticism lies.
Wine is like a capricious beauty – you never know how it will behave. From its makers it
demands a great deal of knowledge and an ability to recognise naturally given qualities.
When we assess wine with our hearts, it reveals to us its mystery and enriches us. Only then
we can comprehend all its goodness and begin to respect it, not become addicted.
The diversity of wines on offer provides us with the opportunity to develop modern ecologi-
cal tourism, which could help save the fragmented viticulture on Slovene hills. Tourism
offers an opportunity for additional income to small farms, ensuring their survival while
also helping to preserve the beauty of cultured landscapes and cultural heritage.
An individual winemaker can elevate wine from an agricultural product into a creative one.
Wine and art have always been intertwined. To me, the winegrowers who can inject into
wine their desires and wants – who can create something new, something better – are artists.
When someone seeks new qualities in their creations they create something of artistic value.
Am I going too far? It is no wonder that so many works of art, even at the beginning of our
civilisation, are connected with wine. Ancient Egyptian reliefs showed grapevines and the
tasks involved in winemaking. The Ancient Greeks bequeathed us numerous ornaments,
217
