For the first time in the land where the vine originated, we have chronicled 9,000 years of the vine and the grape in our museum. When we speak of 9,000 years, we are referring to the ancient history of the region where the vine was domesticated. For the plant’s homeland comprises Georgia, Armenia, Iran and Turkey. Only these four countries can recount such a long historical journey. We consider ourselves very fortunate to live on one of these lands.
Unlike cereals, viticulture and olive cultivation are disciplines that require a considerable body of knowledge. Whilst with cereals it is sufficient simply to sow the seeds, viticulture requires work for ten months of the year. For this reason, viticulture is a highly specialised discipline. We therefore wanted to showcase this discipline in our museum.
The history of the vine is the history of civilisation, and indeed of art. The art of pottery in Anatolia and Thrace, which began 8,000 years ago, developed with the aim of preserving the miraculous products of the vine and the grape. In other words, the art of pottery owes its development to the vine and its fruit.
The grapevine begins its life as Vitis Sylvestris, or the wild vine, and, according to current knowledge, was first domesticated—that is, brought into cultivation—in Georgia at the beginning of the 7th millennium BC, thus giving rise to Vitis Vinifera. From there, this domesticated vine would spread via Armenia, Iran and Anatolia, via the island of Crete, throughout the Mediterranean region some 3,000 years ago.
