Page 56 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 56
he Culture of Wine in Slovenia
Winegrowers themselves had different wine-drinking customs to people in the towns, with
their growing populations. At that time wine was not bottled, with the exception of a small
quantity of superior wines in Styria bottled by wine merchants for elite restaurants. Wine
was thus sold on draught, mostly in catering establishments. This is why workers, craftsmen
and the newly appearing administrative class enjoyed their wine in taverns after work. The
result of this was that many, in particular manual workers, drank on empty stomachs and
soon got drunk. For them, wine was a means of getting intoxicated, thus alleviating their
difficult social position. Wine was served in ordinary glasses without stems. There were
only a few inns where they had table cloths and stemmed glasses.
The culture of wine and a set table as an element of the attractions offered by
hotel marketing, 1895. A postcard from the personal collection of Franc Golob.
Attitudes among winegrowers varied be-
tween the individual regions of Styria,
Carniola and the Littoral. Serfdom was
abolished in 1848: the land was given to the
vassals who had worked it, but they had to
pay off their lords. In Styria, in pronounc-
edly winegrowing areas, winegrowers did
not have the money for this and thus had
to sell it off to rich townspeople, while they
themselves became vine-dressers.
The renewed Herberštajn vine-dresser’s cottage in
Mestni vrh near Ptuj, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
52
Winegrowers themselves had different wine-drinking customs to people in the towns, with
their growing populations. At that time wine was not bottled, with the exception of a small
quantity of superior wines in Styria bottled by wine merchants for elite restaurants. Wine
was thus sold on draught, mostly in catering establishments. This is why workers, craftsmen
and the newly appearing administrative class enjoyed their wine in taverns after work. The
result of this was that many, in particular manual workers, drank on empty stomachs and
soon got drunk. For them, wine was a means of getting intoxicated, thus alleviating their
difficult social position. Wine was served in ordinary glasses without stems. There were
only a few inns where they had table cloths and stemmed glasses.
The culture of wine and a set table as an element of the attractions offered by
hotel marketing, 1895. A postcard from the personal collection of Franc Golob.
Attitudes among winegrowers varied be-
tween the individual regions of Styria,
Carniola and the Littoral. Serfdom was
abolished in 1848: the land was given to the
vassals who had worked it, but they had to
pay off their lords. In Styria, in pronounc-
edly winegrowing areas, winegrowers did
not have the money for this and thus had
to sell it off to rich townspeople, while they
themselves became vine-dressers.
The renewed Herberštajn vine-dresser’s cottage in
Mestni vrh near Ptuj, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
52
