Written by Lojze Hrček, 1989
Abstract
In his work The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, Valvasor includes a description of the development and spread of viticulture and wine industry in 17th century Carniola. Despite the obvious difference in the philosophy of life between the world of today and that of 300 years ago, Valvasor’s writing accords wine a similar place in cultivated consumption that it enjoys today. Thus, for example, Valvasor warns wine drinkers against the harmful effects of an excessive intake of wine. In other places, he speaks highly of the wine of Lower Carniola and White Carniola, with no less praise given to those grown in the Vipava region and Karst. In doing this, he names specific places which were renowned for their high quality wines and the types of vine grown there. Of additional special interest are the figures he states for the wine trade and consumption of wine in Ljubljana at the time. The 17th century spread of vineyards in Carniola is presented further in his Topographia Ducatus Carniolae modernae, where the depictions of towns, boroughs, castles, and monasteries include more or less accurate representations of vineyards at 23 different locations.