Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian basin

Dr. J. Csuták wineknightLEONARDO MEETING

2014. ÁPR. 11-13

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinThe beginnings

3th century. b. C. – Celtics: they probably / surely produced wineRoman Empire: advanced wine-culture;

Pannonian (Sirmium Region) wine specialities in Rome temporary prohibition of vine cultivation in Pannonia (92 a. C.)

The Magyars in Old Country: (5th c.): two main drinks: milk, wine

Treaty with blood of Magyar-tribes: common drinking of blood dropped into wine

Wine: ancient Hungarian world originated from the early land of Vitis vinifera

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinBasis of the wine production

Bisantian Encyclopaedia of Suidas (IX. c.): Advanced grape and wine culture in Balaton

highlandNo epidemic diseases of grape occurred till the

19th c.Frost periods proved to be getting over on the

sheltered hillsThe Magyar’s Conquest:

Magyars received advanced grape- and wine-culture in the Carpathian basin

Three pillars of the Hungarian wine culture: Traditions from Inner Asia Pannonian (Balaton-highland) traditionsExpertise of monks (Benedictines) arrived from

Burgundy, Anjou and Italy

King St. Steven, Árpádian Dynasty: donation of large wine-territories

formation of large feudalistic landed estates 1006.: St. Steven’s charter: rights for selling of alcoholic drinks Council in Strigonium: Ban pubs REGULATED WINE-ECONOMY, GENERAL OUTDOOR

WINE CONSUMPTION 12th c.: settling of German inhabitants: wine culture import 13th c.: wine consumption is not only a lord’s

privilege, but villains also were allowed to drink, as well (ninth!)

King IV. Bela: made general French way of grape cultivation and French barrel size

1271. First wine

communities

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin12-13th century – The Árpád Dynasty

Wine export from: Southland, St. Gheorge-mount, North-Hungary

Wine was one of the most important export goods Kings from Anjou Dynasty

growing technology developed

citizens of towns became owner of grape estates wage labourers in grape cultures

City of Sopron: centre of exports towards Western

Europe

Louis the Great: wine export towards North and

North-East started

Grape varieties: occidental or Hungarian (Pontic) ones

(furmint, bakator, balafánt, csomorika, gohér, etc.)

There were no traces of blue-grapes

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin14th century – The Anjou Dynasty

Wine growing regions

1.Szerémség

2. Balaton-v.

3. Szekszárd

4.Somló

5. Ruszt-Sopron

6. Buda

7. Arad

9. Pozsony

10. Mátra-v.

11. Érmellék

12.Küküllői

8. Baranyai

Linguistic memento: LugasGrowing technology: „rendtöl ültetöt szőllő”means: grapes planted in row

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinThe Árpád- and Anjou Dinasties

1

1. Wines from Szerémség Region (aszú!) exported to Poland – wine-war between North- and South part of the Hungarian Kingdom

2. 1482. King Matthias prohibited wine exportation from Szerémség Region to Poland

3. King Mathias exported Hungarian wines to Russia and

4. As barter, imported fur.

5. New wine-sortiments from Burgund and Campany

6. War against Albany – importation of blue wine sortiment– red wine!

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45

5 6WINE-YARDS AROUND THE TOWNS; DEVELOPED WINE ORIGINE-PROTECTION; STRICT REGULATION

AMONG KINGS FROM DIFFERENT DYNASTIES ONLY MATTHIAS STABILIZED WINE PRODUCTION AND MARKET.

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin14th century – King Matthias – Golden period

Turk likes wine only stealthily

Turk did not prohibited wine production, but put a tax

Wars made many wine-yards to waste, and:

Turkish occupation made market dubious

Came to the front Pozsony Sopron Tokay-Region

In Transylvania: during the reign of Princes G. Bethlen and Gh. Rákóczi prosperous grape- and wine production

Military consignments to Netherland and Poland

1541

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin16th century – The Country broken into three

parts

1565: Austrian customs – except: wines from Sopron, Ruszt, Pozsony

Remained export possibility toward Poland, only„Aszú-mode” – principal wine: Balaton-Highland,

SzerémségLeadership of Tokay from 1550’sAround 1650: in Oremus wine-yard of Zs. Lorántffy

special kinds of old Tokay and „szamorodni” The first Old Tokay registered by Szepsi Laczkó Máté

produced from blue-wine called Purcsin Nomination:

In the beginnings: „Tállyai”, From the reign of Prince II. Rákóczi F. „Hegyaljai”

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin16-17th century – Characteristics for the era

Hungarian wine exports to Netherland and Scandinavia

Spanish war of succession push out of French and Spanish wines from England

Russia under I. Catherine and II. Peter Wine export intensified Parallel to barter, purchasing of wines for cash also

started I. Catherine: significant decrease of Tokay-wine customs

Expenses of Wars of Independence directed by both Thököly and then Prince Rákóczi mainly covered by wine export toward North and East.

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin17th century – Under the Habsburgs

Legal and trade regulations1655. XXXI Act. (confirmed by: 1723. CXVIII. Act.): „All those who replace top quality wines with wines from more

inferior wine-yards and districts … and sell those under the name of the top quality should be punished with immediate loss of all their wine”

1665: Parliamentary Decree No. 79.: separate gathering of overriped grapes („aszú”) obligatory

Queen Mary-Theresa: Confirmed exemption from decima-paying in all region of

Hungarian Kingdom, while Customs of wine-exports to Bavaria became twelvefold of

Austrian ones From 1775 obligatory tie-up in Danubian wine transport: quantity

of Austrian wines must be reached that of the Hungarian ones

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Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin17-18th century – Characteristics for the era

Legal and trade regulations

1772: As Polish-Galicia became Austrian territory, customs ring of Habsburg perpetual territories closed for Hungarian wines

Poland changed Hungarian wines to French ones

Domestic overproduction crisis – disinterested producers, quality deterioration, negative bidding

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin18th century – Characteristics for the era

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S. Széchenyi: „Goodness of wine will be determined by its lastingness as well as its transportability from one site to the other one and the good taste of great and solvent customers… Neither Rhine nor French Producers etc…. are looking for customers, but their representatives do it. Such internal persons between the Producer and Costumer are the most absent persons for us...I suggest for all producers to make better our wines and roads…do not we wait like a lazy and let’s take great pains pretending the custom difficulties never should be widened. In any way, acting this way we can help ourselves…” Great Hungarians in the agronomy and winery:

Gh. Festetics, J. Nagtváthy, F. Pethe, L. Mitterpacher, J.Fábián1816: the first Hungarian fruit-crushing and stalk removing machine1826: twin-screw wine-press1836: Schamps Ferenc: the first Hungarian periodical of winery1836: Hungarian Economic Association (OMGE)

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century

the 1848 Hungarian War of Independence: Cease of inner customs systemHelp to increase wine-market

20th. Sep. 1850.: Open direction for introduction of tax for wine

consumption 1853: Entz Ferenc: Practical Educational

School for Gardeners – Winecelar’s School 1857: Winery-booklets

however, interrupted between 1945-1990, it is still living today

Szemere Bertalan:During his compelled stay in Paris

he created market for Hungarian wines in England

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century

Cellar societies : 1842: Ruszt; 1846: Sopron; 1857: Szekszárd; 1866 és

utána: Bazin, Gellérthegy, Pozsony, Köveskál, Szentbékálla, Balatonfüred, Gyöngyös, Esztergom, Gödöllő…

Minor technical „revolution”: Soil cultivation using horse- or bullock-pulled equipment

became general In the wineries: berrier machines, crusher-berrier

equipment, crushers, iron-presses, pumps, filters, domestic bottlers

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century – self-organizations, slight

recovery

1867: Austro-Hungarian conciliation: however, there were great possibilities in the wine market, progress in winery remained on a low level

o Different economic advantages were given to producers and wine-dealers o Tax-free installation of a new planto Loans to producers for new plantations

o Area of grape-yards has grown, but o Technics and level of professional

knowledge did not went after it; progressivity was to be improved

o OMGE (National Winery Section) managed by F. Entz:o Study on status of Hungarian viticulture

and winery

Entz Ferenc

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century – On the way of development

F. Entz’s experiences:Instead of some progress: Grape areas were neglected or their cultivation seemed to be

unsatisfactory Results: grapes and wines with weak qualities In a significant part of producers equipment necessary for

grape processing and storage vessels were incomplete Abroad publicity of Hungarian wines was on a low level Distribution and demand of Hungarian wines were not

proportional to possibilities on the Word Market

RESULTS OF MEASURES: Hungarian wine-wonder Grape producing area of Hungary in 1875 amounted 425,3

thousand Hectares Wine production in 12 years average was 4 Million Hectolitre;

20% of it exported

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century – taking stock of bequests

Independent department of winery in the Ministry of AgricultureHaigh level of organization and structure

1875.: National Institute for Wine Qualifying quality control/protection

1879.: Winery Section of OMGE: winery registers for protection of producers with

more than 100 HL From 1884 y. National Winery Registers: data of

1,5 Million HL of wine1879.: Strict financial checking of wine stock

(valid till 1971. when Socialist Government put it invalid)

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinEnd of 19th century – establishment system

1880: Introduction of advanced public special education

1890: five public schools for wine-cellar educationFive districts for roaming teachers in the

centres of wine areas

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinEnd of 19th century – education

Inspite of all these, introduced epidemics:864: Powdery mildew1875: Phylloxera1881: downy mildew

Wine adulterations regulation to interrupt 1893: XXIII. Act.: against both adulterators and middlemen 1895: Wine-community Act: origin protection on the new

basis 1896: Central Station of Experimental Viticulture and

Ampeology 1897: Wine-Control Station in every districts and

municipalities (446) for liquidation false wine manufacturing

Customs officer system: Σ 5000 officers

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian BasinEnd of 19th c. – From cloudless sky…

epidemies, regulations

Battle against Phylloxera: J. Miklósvári Miklós Utilisation of sulphur mined in Transylvania • OMGE Istvántelek

Estate: Experimental Station of Protection against Phylloxera – low-prised stocks

• Replantation of extented areas

J. Mathiász Mád- Kecskemét- Tokaj-hegyalja

Tragedy of about 10000 people, at the same, time professional renovation of viticulture

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin19th century – Phylloxera - map

Subsidy for farmers (expanding of market, stabilisation

1901: Budafok – Hungarian Royal National Wine-cellar Course, Faculty of Roaming Wine-cellars

1901: Budafok – Hall for Wine sale by auction From 1901 Hungarian National Wine-Halls in: London, Munich, Stockholm, Wien, Cracow

1902, Budafok: opening of Hungarian Royal Museum for Wine

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basinafter the turn of 19-20th century

Trianon: 1/3 of grape-yards and 2/3 of home market lost 1920: Our traditional markets (Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech)

became closed for Hungarian wines; custom barriers 1922. Monumental Wine exhibition and Market in BudapestCustom discount: weak improvement1929-: Economic world crisis

our earlier wine export 500.000 HL 1933:reduced to 200.000 HL (=10% of the previous export level)

II. World War: Buildings, equipment, infrastructure totally were destroyed Carrying off of experts and valuable equipment to abroad were the most

important cause of the paralyse of production

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin20th century – wars, politics

1930: From the total wine production red – 10,5 %; shiller and rose 27%; white-wine: 62,5 %

Quality structure: Top Tokay – 0,02 %; Premiun quality with mark of origin– 9,6 %; Quality wine - 48,48 % Table wine - 41,9 %

Wine-structure:<1 ha farmers : 95,4 % - field proportion: 63 % 1-5 ha: 3,9 % - 22 % >5 ha: 0,7 % - 15 % Storage capacity: 7 Million HL. – in 85 % in the farmer’s

ownership

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin20th century – some statistics

1938-48: notwithstanding the war, dynamic development continued 1949. Soviet occupation Everything cut, got ruined The nationalization of wine-yards (80.000 ha) Expropriations Deportation Aggressive collectivization Personal and sectoral tragedies – 60.000 ha excellent wine-yard became

extinct1949-1959:

Suppress of private ownership Viticulture and winery separated Ban National Association of Grape-farmers and Wine-yard Communities

1952-65: Constant lack of wine; previously well operated wine-law has broken State buying up of wine: for 38 % and 40% of 1948 prices (in 1958 and

1960 years, respectively)

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin20th century – the last 50 years (1)

1961-70: 35.000 Ha planted grape of 60.000 Ha was settled on unfit fields; before 10 years of their age about 30.000 Ha died out

1949-70: About 40.000 Ha of historical grape fields died out; aspects of regions changed almost irrevocably

1966-69: plenty of grape; farmer’s dissatisfaction against monopolized state buying up of the yield

1969-85: Previously ban development of winery activity became possible for state organizations Well educated experts, BUT! 2/3 of newly established wineries were unsuitable from point of

view of international expectations and competition Regional disproportionateness formed in the Country level Only the bulk-wine production dominated Export: 60 % toward Soviet Union and its satellites;

15% toward the Western market with a high standard

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin20th century – the last 50 years (2)

Increasing of state intervention

Order No. 36/1970: centuries old quality and origin protection were cancelled

1980-89: 50.000 Ha planted150.000 cut down

… and we started from here!

Wine-culture’s history in Carpathian Basin20th century – the last 50 years (3)