Page 78 - Terčelj, Dušan. 2015. The Culture of Wine in Slovenia. Edited by Aleš Gačnik. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 78
he Culture of Wine in Slovenia
Wine always has been and still is a part of Western European culture. Wine’s home is
in the Near East or, to be precise, in Mesopotamia and the coastal regions of the eastern
Mediterranean. No other culture or civilisation in the world developed viticulture and
winemaking. In the grapevine’s birthplaces Islam suppressed the making of wine as it was
a symbol of Christian civilisation.
In ancient times, in addition to grains and olive oil, wine enabled the development of trade
and civilisation. It served as a drink, food and medicine. And it means much more today
as we discover the diversity of its composition. Researchers have found over a thousand
components which are represented in various quantities in each type of wine, giving
each its own aroma and flavour, thus satisfying even the most demanding drinkers. This
exceptional diversity has encouraged numerous researchers to continue to study wine. The
composition of wine depends on the grape variety, on the climatic conditions and soil, and
on the method of production.
It is not my intention to list all the components and their quantities. There are numerous
extensive technical and scientific books on this subject. I simply wish to present the richness
of the composition of grapes and wine, a wealth that makes wine such a unique drink that
no other beverage has managed to replace. I thus apologise in advance to those readers who
are in this book looking for a detailed description of wine’s chemical components.
Grape juice contains the following main groups of substances: water, sugars, organic acids,
nitrogen substances, minerals, enzymes and vitamins; in the skin, there are phenols (colours
and tannins), pectins and aromatic substances.
One of the most modern wine cellars on the Istra wine route. The Brič wine cellar, 2007. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
74
Wine always has been and still is a part of Western European culture. Wine’s home is
in the Near East or, to be precise, in Mesopotamia and the coastal regions of the eastern
Mediterranean. No other culture or civilisation in the world developed viticulture and
winemaking. In the grapevine’s birthplaces Islam suppressed the making of wine as it was
a symbol of Christian civilisation.
In ancient times, in addition to grains and olive oil, wine enabled the development of trade
and civilisation. It served as a drink, food and medicine. And it means much more today
as we discover the diversity of its composition. Researchers have found over a thousand
components which are represented in various quantities in each type of wine, giving
each its own aroma and flavour, thus satisfying even the most demanding drinkers. This
exceptional diversity has encouraged numerous researchers to continue to study wine. The
composition of wine depends on the grape variety, on the climatic conditions and soil, and
on the method of production.
It is not my intention to list all the components and their quantities. There are numerous
extensive technical and scientific books on this subject. I simply wish to present the richness
of the composition of grapes and wine, a wealth that makes wine such a unique drink that
no other beverage has managed to replace. I thus apologise in advance to those readers who
are in this book looking for a detailed description of wine’s chemical components.
Grape juice contains the following main groups of substances: water, sugars, organic acids,
nitrogen substances, minerals, enzymes and vitamins; in the skin, there are phenols (colours
and tannins), pectins and aromatic substances.
One of the most modern wine cellars on the Istra wine route. The Brič wine cellar, 2007. Photo: Aleš Gačnik.
74
