Szőllősy Csila et al. (szerk.): Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis - Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei. C. sorozat 46. (Székesfehérvár, 2018)
Tanulmányok/közlemények - Gelencsér József: Szőlőhegyi kultúra Sárkeresztesen
Gelencsér József: Szőlőhegyi kultúra Sárkeresztesen József Gelencsér Vineyard culture in Sárkeresztes Sárkeresztes (Keresztes until 1904) is situated about 10 km north-west of Székesfehérvár in the Sárrét opening of the Móri Valley in Fejér County'. It is a slighdy hilly area 120 m above sea level with good views of the nearby Bakony and Vértes Mountains. Thanks to the geographical and weather features of the setdement, the conditions of viticulture were given in the setdement, the standard of which, however, did rise above the average with the exception of nearly 15 years at the beginning of the century. The wine produced here did not become renowned even in the subregion and the setdement did not belong to the Mór wine region, only 10—15 km away. However, grape production and wine processing formed an organic part of the economy and agriculture of the village so it deserves to be presented in detail, placing special emphasis on the traditional farming activities ranging from 1867 (the Austro-Hungarian Compromise) to 1959 (the organisation of the agricultural cooperative). The settlement had two hills with vineyards: Borbála Hill and New Hill. The former received its name from the village that perished in the Middle Ages, Barch or Szent Borbála, which was located nearby. Vitivulture was already active there during the last period of the Turkish occupation in the late 17th century. This area was sometimes also called Old Hill, compare to which vines were planted on the New Hill only later in the first half of the 19th century. The study includes a description of some characteristics of a Protestant serfs’ village in the late feudal era and a number of details on viticulture and wine quality obtained from the archives and professional literature. The more detailed description concerns the viticulture of the period between 1867 and 1959, including grape processing, the times and tools for the various work phases and the methods of organising work. The grape Phylloxera catastrophe of 1886, resulting in almost complete destruction, brought significant changes in both the grape types and the method of production, which required longer explanation. The two world wars resulted in further significant destruction although in different ways. All these events and other political and economic circumstances had fundamental impacts on the activities and culture of the vineyards. The operation of the wine community, the organisation of the vineyard owners, was determined by the laws and local legal traditions. The construction, equipment and use of the press houses and cellars is presented. There is description about the everyday activities performed on the vineyard hills, including how the holidays and the hours of entertainment were spent, as well as a number of local customs related to grapes. The vineyards were also the venues for the production of various fruits and other plants. The wort of the plums produced here and the grape marc were used to produce eau-de-vie (pálinka) in the distilleries. The time-frames are not rigid so the changes of the past half a century are also mentioned. The methods and tools of traditional viticulture, the buildings in the vineyards and the practised customs were similar to those that could once be seen in the other Hungarian villages of the Móri Valley. However, the culture of the vineyard hills was different in Székesfehérvárjl] and in Mór or neighbouring Csókakő. 207 T
