Wine Culture in Interwar Lithuania

Abstract

The emergence of wine in the territory of present-day Lithuania is associated with the spread of Christianity to the Baltic lands. After Lithuania was baptized, wine consumption became both a ritual and a phenomenon that formed the social framework in the class society of the time. Due to the geographical features of the territory of Lithuania, grapes and wine had to be imported, and therefore wine was available only to the nobility. Until the restoration of the independence of Lithuania, it was customary for groups of the general public to consume beer and vodka, which were more common in the Russian Empire, but, after separation from the Russian Empire, new consumption habits began to change this trend. This article examines the wine culture in Lithuania: the production of grape and fruit wine, its distribution, and the public attitude. In addition, publications on the theory of fruit wine, literature, their content and distribution in society are discussed. Attention is also paid to the history of the creation of fruit wine factories, people’s connection with the local wine and its popularity in the local market. The aim is also to determine the prospects for growing grapes at home in Lithuania and the potential to supply the internal Lithuanian market with local grapes.