Page 250 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 250
he Culture of Wine in Slovenia
had been recommended a hundred years earlier by Vertovec. He obtained very good results
with a modern method of processing the grapes. During his employment at the Vipava
cooperative he also strove for the establishment of varietal quality wines, such as Rebula,
Pinela, Zelen and Sauvignon.
In 1959, he started working at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, where he stayed until
his retirement in 1993. He was a research oenologist and in his later years there also the
head of oenology and the central laboratory. As a researcher, he went on a number of field
trips to France, which enabled him to cooperate with French institutes. In 1960, he spent six
months at the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Narbonne, where he
became acquainted with the research work of Michel Bourzeix on polyphenols. They began
to cooperate and Bourzeix enabled Terčelj to join the international research group Groupe
Polyphenols. Between 1964 and 1965, Terčelj worked for six months at the Laboratoire de
Metabolizme (CNRZ) in Jouy-en-Josas, researching nitrogen substances in wine under the
mentorship of M. Fauconneau, who was the head of research into nitrogen in meat, as this
institute was involved in agricultural studies. Terčelj carried out his studies into nitrogen on
samples of Sauvignon from Ormož, where with paper chromatography he determined the
composition of amino acids and was the first to determine the quantities of bases, nucleosides
and nucleotides. The Ormož Sauvignon also contained an unusually high level of arginine
(30%), which was subsequently confirmed by microbiological method. The results were
published in French specialist journals. The experience he gained in France helped him in
his research in Slovenia. His field of research was very broad and he worked on a number of
issues and published papers on his studies at home and abroad; he also delivered lectures at
agricultural congresses. He provided expert advice to Slovene wine cellars and private wine
makers when they were introducing new winemaking methods, in particular with regard
to red wines, thus contributing to the improved quality of Slovene wines. He was successful
because he worked with his younger colleagues in wine cellars on equal terms.
In addition, he cooperated with industry in the introduction of new products, e.g. with
the Tovarna organskih kislin, a factory producing organic acids. He also participated in the
creation of the production of tartaric acid and in the improvement of pectolitic enzymes
in winemaking. Unfortunately, this factory in Ilirska Bistrica had to close because of the
environmental harm it caused.
In 1981, Dušan Terčelj completed his Masters studies and in 1983 his doctorate at the Faculty
of Agronomy at the University of Zagreb on the colour composition of Kraški Teran. Prior
to retirement, he worked on the determination of aromatic substances released from new oak
barrels made from Quercus petreae, i.e. the Kras oak, and Quercus robur (the Slavonia
oak tree), in the production of barrique wines.
In 1988, he received an award from the Yugoslav Presidency (the Order of Labour with a
Golden Wreath). In 1995, he received the Award of the Republic of Slovenia for his research
and his life’s work in oenology.
His hobby was spreading knowledge about wine, not just Slovene wines but also those produced
in other countries. Between 1975 and 2003, he was the technical organiser of the International
Wine Assessment in Ljubljana and from 1990 onwards the president of the international
commission for the assessment of wine. After 1975, he transformed the Ljubljana Wine Fair
into a professional event that strove to educate consumers about wine.
246
had been recommended a hundred years earlier by Vertovec. He obtained very good results
with a modern method of processing the grapes. During his employment at the Vipava
cooperative he also strove for the establishment of varietal quality wines, such as Rebula,
Pinela, Zelen and Sauvignon.
In 1959, he started working at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, where he stayed until
his retirement in 1993. He was a research oenologist and in his later years there also the
head of oenology and the central laboratory. As a researcher, he went on a number of field
trips to France, which enabled him to cooperate with French institutes. In 1960, he spent six
months at the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Narbonne, where he
became acquainted with the research work of Michel Bourzeix on polyphenols. They began
to cooperate and Bourzeix enabled Terčelj to join the international research group Groupe
Polyphenols. Between 1964 and 1965, Terčelj worked for six months at the Laboratoire de
Metabolizme (CNRZ) in Jouy-en-Josas, researching nitrogen substances in wine under the
mentorship of M. Fauconneau, who was the head of research into nitrogen in meat, as this
institute was involved in agricultural studies. Terčelj carried out his studies into nitrogen on
samples of Sauvignon from Ormož, where with paper chromatography he determined the
composition of amino acids and was the first to determine the quantities of bases, nucleosides
and nucleotides. The Ormož Sauvignon also contained an unusually high level of arginine
(30%), which was subsequently confirmed by microbiological method. The results were
published in French specialist journals. The experience he gained in France helped him in
his research in Slovenia. His field of research was very broad and he worked on a number of
issues and published papers on his studies at home and abroad; he also delivered lectures at
agricultural congresses. He provided expert advice to Slovene wine cellars and private wine
makers when they were introducing new winemaking methods, in particular with regard
to red wines, thus contributing to the improved quality of Slovene wines. He was successful
because he worked with his younger colleagues in wine cellars on equal terms.
In addition, he cooperated with industry in the introduction of new products, e.g. with
the Tovarna organskih kislin, a factory producing organic acids. He also participated in the
creation of the production of tartaric acid and in the improvement of pectolitic enzymes
in winemaking. Unfortunately, this factory in Ilirska Bistrica had to close because of the
environmental harm it caused.
In 1981, Dušan Terčelj completed his Masters studies and in 1983 his doctorate at the Faculty
of Agronomy at the University of Zagreb on the colour composition of Kraški Teran. Prior
to retirement, he worked on the determination of aromatic substances released from new oak
barrels made from Quercus petreae, i.e. the Kras oak, and Quercus robur (the Slavonia
oak tree), in the production of barrique wines.
In 1988, he received an award from the Yugoslav Presidency (the Order of Labour with a
Golden Wreath). In 1995, he received the Award of the Republic of Slovenia for his research
and his life’s work in oenology.
His hobby was spreading knowledge about wine, not just Slovene wines but also those produced
in other countries. Between 1975 and 2003, he was the technical organiser of the International
Wine Assessment in Ljubljana and from 1990 onwards the president of the international
commission for the assessment of wine. After 1975, he transformed the Ljubljana Wine Fair
into a professional event that strove to educate consumers about wine.
246
