Vineyards in Slovakia Through the Ages

You probably won’t find Slovakia on most of today’s maps of European vineyards. Nevertheless, the present-day cultivation of grapevines in Slovakia is noteworthy, and its history is even more interesting. For many centuries, wine production was the main source of wealth for Slovakia’s present-day capital, Bratislava, as well as for several other towns and many villages. Dr. Ján Vingárik explains how the extent and distribution of vineyards in the regions of Slovakia, as well as the quality of the finished wine, were (and are) closely tied to changes in the climate.

Dr. Ján Vingárik studied historical geography, followed by advanced degrees in history, all at the University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica. He works at the Upper Nitra Museum in Prievidza, Slovakia, as a curator of the historical document collections. His main field of ​​interest is the environmental history of Slovakia, with a special focus on the Upper Nitra region.