In search of a good drink

Remarks on the role of wine in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century

Abstract

The author presents the growing role of wine in the culture of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century. He shows that the subject of wine appears in discussions on the need to catch up with other European countries in terms of culture, as well as in the correspondence of the intellectual elites of the era. He analyses the reasons for the growing popularity of French wine, which competed with Hungarian wine. Its popularity resulted, among other things, from the contacts of magnates and priests with Paris and Nancy, as well as from the culinary experiences of magnates and nobles travelling on educational trips. In the mid-18th century, new opportunities for exporting French wine emerged, thanks in part to the activities of the Polish consul in Bordeaux - Rossau.  In the mid-18th century, French wine became popular, was used as a diplomatic gift, and became a sought-after, valued alcoholic beverage, competing with Hungarian wine.