Having a regular or monastery wine is not the same. The latter might also have health benefits and comes with added nettle or figs. Its history goes back to the 8th and 9th century.
Given the boost that even the Nemanjić royal dynasty used to give to grapevine cultivation, monastery wines production flourished since the 12th century. Vine growth was also mentioned in the mid-14th-century Dušan’s Code along with serious punishments for grape thieves.
Wine production is one of the oldest Serbian monks’ disciplines. It is not rare to find local producers participating in wine exhibitions around the world (Bukovo Monastery Vinery to name one) winning prestigious awards and taking the spotlight.
Throughout history, one of the monks’ habits proved to be extremely important. They tended to write down specifics about the production and therefore preserved data which lead to quality improvements.
In order to try the so-called holy wine today, you can buy some in wineries and monasteries, and even have a glass in monasteries’ restaurants if they have one (like Koporin and Fenek). You will notice how the wine has a different taste when it is made – with a blessing!
