Viticulture and Winemaking in the Central Balkans (15th–19th Century)

BalkViWine website

 

Participating Scientific and Research Organizations (SROs):

Institute of Balkan Studies SASA

Faculty of Philosophy; University of Novi Sad

Faculty of Philosophy; University of Belgrade

Faculty of Philology; University of Belgrade

 

Principal investigator

Nebojša Šuletić, PhD, research associate, Institute for Balkan Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

 

Team members

Valentina Živković, PhD, principal research fellow, Institute for Balkan Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Aleksandar Fotić, PhD, research associate, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

Sonja Petrović, PhD, associate professor, Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade

Miroslav Pavlović, PhD, associate professor, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad

Dragana Lazić Stojković, MA, research assistant, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad

 

Project description

Vine cultivation has a profound influence on economic, social, cultural, and everyday life in the Central Balkans for about two millennia. However, there are many uncertainties when it comes to the historical knowledge about viticulture and winemaking in the Ottoman era. The main objective of this project is to examine the impact that viticulture of the Ottoman era had on the development of the wine culture in the modern-day Central Balkans. The investigation will be applied to the main viticultural areas in the Central Balkans and will cover an extensive chronology between the 15th and the 19th century. The research will be based on various types of historical sources, but mainly on unpublished Ottoman archival materials.

 

Aims

The specific aims of this project are: 1) to examine the hypothesis about the Ottoman era as a period of discontinuity in wine production; 2) to determine and map the main viticultural regions in the early modern Central Balkans; 3) to analyze the influences of the Ottoman religious polity on the production, taxation, and consumption of wine; 4) to examine different ways of using grapes in the diet and everyday life; 5) to investigate representations of grapes and wine in literature and visual culture.

 

Funding and duration

The project is supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia within the frame of the PRIZMA Program for the period January 2024 to December 2026.