KRK

Za oca nije bilo mjerilo isplati li se ne{to i koliko,
za njega je postojala samo ljubav prema lozi, vinogradu
i dobrom vinu. @rtvovanje i cjelodnevni rad
ispunio je njegov `ivot u skladu s tradicijom,
vjerovanjem i geslom starih benediktinaca “MOLI I
RADI”. U svom pokorni~kom `ivotu ~vrsto je stajao na
zemlji uvijek s pogledom i mislima usmjerenim prema
nebu. Osje}ao je kao i drugi te`aci da neminovno
dolazi novo vrijeme i da }e vinogradi biti zapu{teni
tamo gdje mladi ~ovjek ne mo`e traktorom i drugom
mehanizacijom olak{ati mukotrpni rad. Shva}ao je,
ali je te{ko pro`ivljavljao saznanje da njegova djeca
ne}e nastaviti obra|ivati te vinograde. Neprekidno se
pitao: [to bi rekli na{i stari da vide te vinograde
zapu{tene?
@rtvovao se je i trudio sve dok ga u dubokoj
starosti nije izdala mula i vlastito tijelo. Na`alost,
tih vinograda vi{e nema, nema vi{e ni mula ni magaraca,
ostala su samo sje}anja i groma~e, na sre}u i
~uvena @lahtina iz vrbni~kog polja, proizvedena i
prera|ena novom tehnologijom.
Vrbnik je gradi} vrsnih vinogradara i vje{tih
podrumara. Toliko }e tajni na{oj znati`elji otkriti to
na visokoj hridi izraslo gnijezdo isprepleteno labirintom
uskih uli~ica, klan~i}a, trgova, zbijenih ku}a iz
~ijih se konoba u jesen {iri miris mo{ta i ~uje brborenje
mladoga vina.
Mo`da je ba{ Vrbnik pravo mjesto gdje se vrijedi
upitati {to je vino? “Vino je najbolji proizvod {to ga je
proizveo ~ovjek, a stvorio Bog” re}i }e jedan vinar, a
gotovo svima je poznata uzre~ica: VINO JE PI]E
BOGOVA! Duboka zna~enja tog usklika razotkriva tek
vjekovna kulturno - religiozna i misti~no - filozofska
tradicija ~ovje~anstva, u kojoj je vino vezano upravo
uz lik i pojam bo`anstva.
The harvested grapes were first transported in sheepand
goatskins on the mules from the vineyards in
Prileti and Sr{}ica to the seashore and loaded into a
boat. Some would then go to the harbor in Vrbnik by
boat while others would go with the mules on the
mainland to carry the grapes from the boat to the
wine cellar.
My father did not consider whether something paid
off and how much. To him existed only the love for the
vine, the vineyard and good wine. Sacrifice and work
from dawn to dusk filled his life in accordance with
the tradition, the belief and the motto of the Benedictines
“PRAY AND WORK.” In his penitent life, he
stood firmly on the ground with his look and thoughts
always directed toward the skies. He felt, as did other
peasants, that new times are inevitable and that those
vineyards would be untended where the young man
were unable to facilitate his painstaking work with
the use of tractors and other machinery. He understood,
but he with difficulty accepted the notion that
his children would not continue with the cultivation
of these vineyards. He kept asking himself: “What
would our predecessors say if they saw these vineyards
untended?”
He sacrificed himself and kept trying until in his
old age the mule and his own body betrayed him.
Unfortunately, these vineyards are no longer, the
mules and the donkeys are no more. Only the memories
and the groma~as remain, and, luckily, the famous
@lahtina from the Field of Vrbnik, produced and
processed with new technology.
Vrbnik is a town of outstanding winegrowers and
skilled winemakers. So many a secret will be revealed
to our curiosity by this nest grown on the high cliff
and intertwined with a maze of narrow street, passes,
squares, and packed houses out of whose wine cellars
in the fall emanates the scent of must and the murmur
of young wine.
Perhaps Vrbnik is indeed the right spot to raise the
question of what is wine.
“Wine is the best product produced by man and
created by God,” said a winemaker, while almost
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