Glasnik Zaštite Bilja (Oct 2022)
Historical overview of wine production in Herzegovina
Abstract
According to historical data, the vines were grown in the time of the ancient Illyrians or the Daors tribe. The chronicles state that the people of Romans, Dubrovnik, Turk and Habsburgs were greedy for this land just because of the vines and grapes. During the Turkish occupation the development of winemaking in Herzegovina was rather slow and limited. At that time wine production in a reduced volume took place in Herzegovina and from there wine was transported to Bosnia. With the arrival of Austria-Hungary in this area the wine sector was revitalised and wine production reached its maximum in 1912. The bearers of winemaking development in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries were private winemakers and cellarmen. The Franciscans also contributed to the progress of the wine sector giving great importance to the wine production and processing. World wars, wine crises, tax burdens on wine and brandy, the emergence of phylloxera and many other factors have influenced viticulture and winemaking in this area.
