WINE

We do not know exactly who invented wine – each Mediterranean civilisation lays claim to this achievement. The southern Caucasus is usually considered to be the ‘birthplace’ of the beverage, although wine-making traditions can also be traced to Greece or Egypt. This means that the fermented grape beverage was first obtained somewhere between the Black and Mediterranean Seas and the Persian Gulf. From there, it travelled on until its taste and bouquet spread around the world. Regardless of where wine originated, it has accompanied great civilisations – it was an exclusive and unique drink and, most interestingly, it has always served a dual purpose: religious and hedonistic. In Antiquity, the intoxication of wine was seen as almost a religious act, bringing man closer to the divine. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, wine took on a symbolic character, from the story of Noah, who was to plant the first vine after the Flood, to the wedding at Cana or the Last Supper. 

Polish culinary traditions are nowadays rather associated with the so-called northern model – whose elements include alcohols obtained by fermenting or distilling cereals or hops and animal fats such as butter and lard – in opposition to the southern model, associated with wine and olive oil. Although it might seem that our climate is not conducive to viticulture, the first vineyard was established in Krakow as early as the 10th century. This was done on Wawel Hill and the vines, probably imported from Bohemia and Moravia and planted on a limestone slope, were intended to bear fruit to be used for liturgical purposes. This vineyard was probably destroyed in the 17th century. Today, it is to be remembered by vines of the Concord, Ontario, Alwood, and Cascade varieties planted in the Royal Gardens. 

Wine is tasted, wine is contemplated, wine provokes conversation… It is a subtle beverage, rich in symbolism, and its production is an art itself. Wine, which is intrinsically linked to culture and art, has been the inspiration for many artists. Baudelaire, Hugo, and Herbert wrote about it. Mickiewicz, Gombrowicz, and Szymborska wanted to savour it on their deathbeds. With the memory of the first Wawel vineyard in mind, in this edition we present objects connected with this noble beverage – objects in which art meets nature.