A brief history of viticulture in Slovakia

The next topic of the blog is a little more factual, so that you can imagine what history is hidden behind every single sip of wine from Slovakia.
Due to the small number of preserved written artifacts, it is dating the beginning of winemaking in Slovakia difficult. The first documented deed comes from the 11th century, but in that period the winery had already reached a relatively developed structure, from which we can assume that its foundations were built earlier. It is possible to shift this dating by at least 2 to 3 centuries before the 11th century for the whole of southern Slovakia.

The Roman emperor Probus, who ordered the establishment of vineyards in areas where there is an appropriate environment, helped the spread of the grapevine in our country. The wine produced by the Celts before this order was referred to by historians of the time as 'spicy'. At that time, Celtic wine was far from today's balanced and appreciated taste. The reason may be different climatic conditions, which have changed over the centuries to the current form.

Vineyards founded on Roman initiative are created around the Danube, which formed the border between the Roman provinces. The migration of peoples brings the Slavs, who continue the established tradition. However, the next boom comes only with the union of the Slavs and the creation of Great Moravia. The arrival of Cyril and Methodius ensured not only the spread of Christianity, but also the use of wine in ceremonies, which gave it a spiritual dimension.

Vine-growing regions are formed during the reign of Stephen I., guilds are founded, cities receive the title of free royal city. The peoples who came after the lynching of the Tatar troops, brought new varieties and processing technologies with them. Wine production helps residents and winemakers to benefits that other industries do not. The monarch and the nobility were interested in trading this article abroad. Wine significantly improved their treasury.

The time of the largest area covered with vines is during the reign of Maria Theresa and her husband Josef II. The vineyards reached almost 57,000 ha. It is here that the vintage tradition, which we wrote about in the last blog, has its beginnings.

At the end of the 19th century, the huge area devoted to vines was affected by the phylloxera disease, which attacked and destroyed 80% of European vineyards. Therefore, an American climbing vine, which was immune to the disease, had to be imported. The original 57,000ha in Slovakia was never restored.

Socialism supported viticulture, unfortunately, quantity came at the expense of quality. From the post-war acreage of 12,000ha, it expanded to approximately 30,000ha. A new stage in our history after the Gentle Revolution brought a new start to Slovak viticulture. You can taste its results today.

Sources:
KAZIMÍR,Š.1986. Vine growing and wine production in Slovakia in the past. Bratislava: VEDA, 1986. 327 p.
https://historyweb.dennikn.sk/clanky/detail/kedy-prislo-vino-na-uzemie-slovenska
http://slovakiawines.com/ home-page-slovakiawines/historia/

Photo gallery: https:// www.vinoruban.sk/strucna-historia-vinohradnictva-a-vinarstva-na-slovensku/