Page 43 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 43
The Culture of Wine Drinking
Wine is goodness
Wine has accompanied humankind since the appearance A Roman amphora for the transportation and
of the Mediterranean culture, which is the foundation storage of wine, 1976. Photo library of the
of Western European civilisation. Wine was one of the Ptuj Regional Museum.
basic elements of this culture: it was a drink, food and
medicine. It had an important economic role and, due
to its special characteristics, also a symbolic meaning.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans were very familiar
with the culinary art: the enjoyment of different wines
accompanying different dishes. Antique writers described
the pleasures of drinking wine and the richness of its
aromas and flavours. Progress in winemaking has
been made right up to this day. Slovenes, too, soon
after settling in the lands they now inhabit, started
producing grapes and wine. Wine became a popular
national drink, with which every holiday and important
event was celebrated. We acquired the knowledge of
how to create wines typical of each region, even each
locality and position. This is our wealth, our cultural
heritage.
Today we are witnessing the advance of economic globalisation, striving to produce every-
thing as cheaply as possible and to maximise profit, even in winemaking. Anything goes,
as long as it does not harm our health; it does not matter that everything tastes the same.
Should we be drinking “McDonald’s” wine? This is what the non-European countries that
make up the new wine producing world are in favour of. On the other side are the mem-
bers of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.), headed by France, who
Shots from the filming of Slovenia, Winegrowing Country in cooperation with experts from the International Vine and
Wine Office, Železne dveri, 1 October 1992. Photo: Aleš Gačnik, photo library of the Ptuj Regional Museum.
advocate the preservation of tradition, natural production, the specific characteristics of
provenance and the wealth of diversity. Thus wine should remain an agricultural product
(not an industrial one), with its own romantic charm and a hint of mystery. It is up to us
to decide which of these ideas to pursue in our legislation.
39
Wine is goodness
Wine has accompanied humankind since the appearance A Roman amphora for the transportation and
of the Mediterranean culture, which is the foundation storage of wine, 1976. Photo library of the
of Western European civilisation. Wine was one of the Ptuj Regional Museum.
basic elements of this culture: it was a drink, food and
medicine. It had an important economic role and, due
to its special characteristics, also a symbolic meaning.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans were very familiar
with the culinary art: the enjoyment of different wines
accompanying different dishes. Antique writers described
the pleasures of drinking wine and the richness of its
aromas and flavours. Progress in winemaking has
been made right up to this day. Slovenes, too, soon
after settling in the lands they now inhabit, started
producing grapes and wine. Wine became a popular
national drink, with which every holiday and important
event was celebrated. We acquired the knowledge of
how to create wines typical of each region, even each
locality and position. This is our wealth, our cultural
heritage.
Today we are witnessing the advance of economic globalisation, striving to produce every-
thing as cheaply as possible and to maximise profit, even in winemaking. Anything goes,
as long as it does not harm our health; it does not matter that everything tastes the same.
Should we be drinking “McDonald’s” wine? This is what the non-European countries that
make up the new wine producing world are in favour of. On the other side are the mem-
bers of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.), headed by France, who
Shots from the filming of Slovenia, Winegrowing Country in cooperation with experts from the International Vine and
Wine Office, Železne dveri, 1 October 1992. Photo: Aleš Gačnik, photo library of the Ptuj Regional Museum.
advocate the preservation of tradition, natural production, the specific characteristics of
provenance and the wealth of diversity. Thus wine should remain an agricultural product
(not an industrial one), with its own romantic charm and a hint of mystery. It is up to us
to decide which of these ideas to pursue in our legislation.
39
