Fehér György szerk.: A Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei 2001-2004 (Budapest, 2004)

TUDOMÁNYOS KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Csoma Zsigmond: A régi magyar, hungaricum szőlőfajták történeti-ökológiai, ethno-ampelográfiai vizsgálata (A középkortól a XX. század közepéig)

Historico-ecological and ethno-ampelographical survey of ancient and Hungarian grape varieties ZSIGMOND CSOMA A series of examples described in the paper show how important and determinant role in vine growing good grape varieties played. Without knowledge of the varieties and their various biological and cultural characteristics it was impossible to successfully cultivate vine and produce good quality wine in the run. Peasant and serf vine growers classified and selected grape varieties mostly according to external marks and based on the experience obtained in the course of several years or, perhaps, several generations. Using this empirical knowledge they tried to form cultivation so that it best suited to the requirements of the variety, that is, cultivation methods were determined by the characteristics of the variety. Only this way could they expect higher, steadier and better quality yields and vintage. Considering the characteristics and requirements of the convarietas pontica, varieties with perfectly female flowers, those with masculated flowers and shattering varieties were planted together in peasant vineyards, in order to increase yield security. Vine growers strove to utilize their practical experience and knowledge of the varietal attributes in the operations of cultivation and winemaking, what can be called expertise. Those who lacked or did not apply this knowledge, that is, whose expertise was not appropriate, had to face their vine running sooner or later wild, decreasing yields and eventually destruction of the vine-stock or the variety. But vine had a significant value both as a vineyard, and as individual vinestock. Owing to the privileged legal status of a vineyard the owner or leaseholder was interested in keeping it in good condition so as the high-yielding vineyard ensured him the income for which he had chosen this arduous job. Vinegrowing peasants were attached to their grape varieties by special emotional ties. This fact particularly manifested itself in the case of low-fertility, biologically deteriorated shattering varieties which were given various depreciating names because of their poorly-set, loose clusters with milleranded, shrunken berries. Discernment and eradication of these vine-stocks was a regular practice. On the occasions of visits at each other's vineyards vine growers always presented these vine-stocks and varieties as warning examples and lesson. The care of grape varieties, the attention paid them are also connected with such peasant features and phenomena as the adherence of communities in certain vine-districts to old varieties, inclination to innovations and experimentation together with cautious shyness towards radically new things, growing of varieties in fashion, or the determinant connection of traditional growing with varieties. Discussion in detailes of these subjects, however, would exceed the limits of this paper. Nevertheless, all these factors might contribute to the efforts made for getting acquainted with cultural and biological characteristics of grape varieties.