Exhibition of Viticulture

Beginnigs of the wine growing on the territory of Bratislava are documented already in the 3th century. Development of wine growing and wine making in the medieval city was enhanced by various decrees of rulers. Definitely, ground-breaking document was the 1291 charter of privileges of Andrew III, which exempted the burghers from paying taxes to the king on contemporary as well as future vineyards. One of the key factors was also the German colonisation in the 13th and 14th centuries that resulted in an influx of merchants, craftsmen and winemakers from the area of Rhineland in particular. The 19th century saw an emergence of favourable conditions for the establishment of industrial companies focusing on the mass production and trade of wine. In 1825, Ján Fischer and Michal Schönbauer opened a factory producing sparkling wine according to the original French recipe, in 1877 the company was bought by the Hubert family and the wine started to be sold with the Hubert label. In 1952, the company was nationalized and moved to Sereď. The most famous winemaking company in former Hungary was established by Jakub Palugyay. From its beginnings – probably in 1851 – until the end in 1918 the company was prosperous and received awards at important international exhibitions.