Wine – The Favourite Beverage of Serbian Medieval Rulers and Nobility

Abstract

Wine, as the most noble and beloved drink of the Middle Ages, was primarily consumed in the courts of Serbian medieval rulers and nobility. During the early decades of the 14^th century, Serbian rulers and nobles imported wine from the coastal cities of Zeta, which were under Serbian rule and where viticulture was the main agricultural production. The nobility from Serbian lands gravitating towards the Adriatic Coast (Trebinje and Hum) during the 14th and 15th centuries imported wine from the region of Dubrovnik, which represented the largest producer of this drink on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. By the first decades of the 15th century, viticulture had reached a higher level of development even in the inner Serbian regions, especially in the vicinity of urban settlements, enabling rulers and nobility to have access to larger quantities of domestic wine. During visits and stays in Dubrovnik, Serbian rulers and regional lords were often honored with generous amounts of wine. This drink was almost invariably present at rulers’ and nobility’s banquets, organized for various occasions, but also as a form of everyday socializing and entertainment, where toasts were raised with glasses of wine in hand. The military dignitaires and soldiers also consumed wine during military campaigns.

It is assumed that various types of red wine were more commonly consumed, among which the well-known kratošija from the Budva area and tamjanika from the Dubrovnik region, the latter also being cultivated as a white variety. White wine was considered more luxurious, such as trebbiano wine from Dubrovnik, wine from the Itailian town of Ortona, as well as the particulary esteemed malvasia, which Serbian and Bosnian rulers imported from Dubrovnik and Venice in the late 14th and the first half of the 15th century. In the summer months, wine was consumed chilled with ice, while during winter, pure wine was consumed. At the ruler’s court, a servant or cupbearer was responsible for the wine, referred to during the period of the Serbian Empire (1346–1371), as enohijar, a term of Greek origin. The person overseeing the servant and other courtiers in the ruler’s court held the title of grand servant, which was granted to members of the most prestigious noble families. Large quantities of wine were stored in fortresses near the ruler’s court or in special cellars called vinice or pivnice. Rulers and nobles’ tableware for pouring and drinking wine was made from precious metals, mostly silver. For pouring wine, vessels known as bokal, bardak, imbrik, kondir, možul, and others were used, with the goblet, glass and cup being especially favored among the wine glasses.