| Jeruzalem - Svetinje History |
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It was the Romans who planted the first vineyards in Jeruzalemsko-Svetinjske gorice hills. That was at a time when Slovenia's oldest town Poetovio (today's Ptuj) was the Roman Empire's largest eastern stronghold. When Roman emperor Probus tasted the local wine, he declared the province "Vinea nobilis districtis".
As the crusaders migrated into the land in the 11th century, winegrowing was preserved and the study of vines and wine took on an almost scientific nature. The crusaders liked the land so much that they called the area Jeruzalem, the nearby hill Svetinje (Slovene for "sacred things") and gave all the other hills the names of their apostles. Another historic figure that had the pleasure of tasting the local wine and thought it delicious was Napoleon. An anecdote says that as he set his empty glass down he enthusiastically exclaimed "SI BON", and the locals wondered how on earth he knew it was Sipon that he was drinking. Viticulture and winemaking in the area peaked during the time of the Austrian monarchy, when our wine went under the trademark of "Luttenberger". Together with the area of present day Austrian Styria our sunny hills represented the largest winegrowing area in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. The wine produced in the Jeruzalemske gorice hills was so reputable and precious that the locals were not allowed to drink it, but had to satisfy themselves with the wine imported from other areas. |
