The Zala Wine Order – whose ceremonial robes were worn by Bálint Havasi, Director General of the Directorate of Zalaegerszeg Museums, to welcome the guests – takes its name from an inscription on a small drinking vessel found in a 2,000-year-old tomb near Keszthely. (Da bibere! Give me a drink!) The focus of Zalaegerszeg’s latest urban history conference was viticulture and wine culture. As Mayor Zoltán Balaicz noted, each year features a scientific session and book launch where experts present their findings to the public in an understandable, conversational tone.
The chairperson of the event, Szilvia Gyanó, an ethnographer at the Thúry György Museum, first invited archaeologist Roland Németh to deliver his presentation. The museologist took the audience back to antiquity, introducing the beginnings of wine culture through Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry. His talk covered methods of storing fine wines, customs of wine consumption, and the importance of the Amber Road for transportation.
Irén Bilkei, chief archivist at the Hungarian National Archives, showcased codex illustrations from the 15th and 16th centuries to provide insights into the wine culture of medieval Egerszeg and its surroundings. She explained that wine was a highly valued commodity, often targeted by highway robbers. The written records of lawsuits over these robberies are still preserved in the archives.
Archivist Bálint Kulcsár introduced the audience to a new term: “cellar breakers,” who were essentially burglars and thieves plundering local wine cellars. Most perpetrators were servants or low-income individuals familiar with the area. The audience learned about the details of four criminal cases documented in the archives.
Historian and senior museologist Anna Megyeri provided a richly illustrated account of 20th-century vineyard cottages and press houses. Many local families moved into these thatched-roof homes year-round, enjoying the serenity of nature and the pleasures of vineyard life.
Szilvia Gyanó spoke about the ethnographic characteristics of vineyard hills. Drawing on ethnographer Ferenc Gönczi’s notes, she offered a comprehensive picture of authentic Göcsej traditions and motifs.
Ethnographer Nóra Kiss began her lecture with the exclamation, “Jesus, help me; I’ll drink this year’s harvest too!” Why? In the past, the region’s wines were tasted this way by the “judges.” The Riesling was considered the best grape variety, and if a wine turned out poorly, it was solely attributed to mishandling. An interesting basket design was also introduced, specifically used for harvesting “noha” grapes, with its unique construction ensuring not a single berry fell to the ground.
Retired library director Gábor Kiss spoke about a unique period of recovery following the phylloxera crisis. He detailed the more resilient grape varieties that emerged and those lost forever, which current generations can no longer experience.
Historian and museologist Krisztina Erős evoked a somber historical period. She shared family stories about the relocations of 1950-1952, during which severe housing shortages forced many to move to the vineyard hills surrounding the city. These homes often offered cramped and electricity-free living conditions instead of comfortable accommodations.
The event concluded with a high-quality wine tasting led by wine merchant György Pampetrics, who presented and offered samples of three exquisite Zala wines.
