Page 61 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 61
The Culture of Wine Drinking
Club celebrations and St. Martin’s. In numerous European carnival centres on 11 November at 11.11 a.m., the carnival
season begins with the selection of the carnival prince. Juršinci, Kostanjevica, Ptuj, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
Vineyards
At the beginning of the Modern Age the development of trade and the production of grapes
and wine increased in the pronouncedly winegrowing areas of Styria and the Littoral, but
was being abolished in areas where the quality of produce was low, i.e. in Upper Carniola,
Carinthia and in the Savinja Valley. Even in regions where the quality of wine was satisfac-
tory, viticulture was at a very low level right up until the 19th century. Many poor varieties of
grapes were grown, there was no order in the way vines were planted, and the wine produced
was light and sour. The renowned wine expert Ivo Zupanič has pointed out that the price
then depended on the level of acidity: the more acid the wine, the lower its price.
An important milestone in the development of agriculture, and with it viticulture, was the
appearance in the early 19th century of new agricultural societies in individual regions. The
first such society was established in 1819 for Styria; later others appeared for Carniola and
the Littoral. The president of the agricultural society for Styria (based in Graz) was Archduke
Johann, the Emperor’s brother. In Pekre near Maribor he bought an estate and in straight
rows planted high quality vines from the Rhineland: Rhine Riesling, Traminer, Pinot Gris,
Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Welschriesling. This brought about a change in the composition
of grape varieties and the technique of planting vines in rows, first in Styria and later also
in Carniola. In the latter, the development of viticulture was greatly influenced by Matija
Vertovec, who in 1844 published the first specialised Slovene book on winegrowing.
On the occasion of the renovation of
a house in Podkoren near Kranjska
gora a family coat-of-arms was
revealed with a grape motif. The
current owners of the house believe
that the coat-of-arms belonged
to the counts from the Bela Peč
castle, who used to collect taxes in
this area. The house, for some time
used as a shop, was supposedly the
counts’ summer residence, 2006.
Photo: Aleš Gačnik
57
Club celebrations and St. Martin’s. In numerous European carnival centres on 11 November at 11.11 a.m., the carnival
season begins with the selection of the carnival prince. Juršinci, Kostanjevica, Ptuj, 2006. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
Vineyards
At the beginning of the Modern Age the development of trade and the production of grapes
and wine increased in the pronouncedly winegrowing areas of Styria and the Littoral, but
was being abolished in areas where the quality of produce was low, i.e. in Upper Carniola,
Carinthia and in the Savinja Valley. Even in regions where the quality of wine was satisfac-
tory, viticulture was at a very low level right up until the 19th century. Many poor varieties of
grapes were grown, there was no order in the way vines were planted, and the wine produced
was light and sour. The renowned wine expert Ivo Zupanič has pointed out that the price
then depended on the level of acidity: the more acid the wine, the lower its price.
An important milestone in the development of agriculture, and with it viticulture, was the
appearance in the early 19th century of new agricultural societies in individual regions. The
first such society was established in 1819 for Styria; later others appeared for Carniola and
the Littoral. The president of the agricultural society for Styria (based in Graz) was Archduke
Johann, the Emperor’s brother. In Pekre near Maribor he bought an estate and in straight
rows planted high quality vines from the Rhineland: Rhine Riesling, Traminer, Pinot Gris,
Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Welschriesling. This brought about a change in the composition
of grape varieties and the technique of planting vines in rows, first in Styria and later also
in Carniola. In the latter, the development of viticulture was greatly influenced by Matija
Vertovec, who in 1844 published the first specialised Slovene book on winegrowing.
On the occasion of the renovation of
a house in Podkoren near Kranjska
gora a family coat-of-arms was
revealed with a grape motif. The
current owners of the house believe
that the coat-of-arms belonged
to the counts from the Bela Peč
castle, who used to collect taxes in
this area. The house, for some time
used as a shop, was supposedly the
counts’ summer residence, 2006.
Photo: Aleš Gačnik
57
