Paper short abstract:

In postmigrant society of western Poland, after collapse of communist ideologies, when the memories of prewar dwellers are fading away, the regional tradition of winemaking needs to be reinvented. Throughout last decade wineries came back, and many different histories of wine identity are created.

Paper long abstract:

In postmigrant society of western Poland there is a huge social demand for the "story about homeland". After collapse of communist ideologies, and when the memories of prewar dwellers are fading away, the regional tradition needs to be revitalized or, simply written, reinvented. For fifty years after WWII the German identity of the region have been erased and wineries disappeared from the social memories. Throughout last decade wineries came back, and the 'wine identity' of the region is becoming more and more popular. At the same time there are a few social interpretations, "histories" crystallized around wineries and winemaking. These histories are legitimating wine producing and supporting regional identity but also constitute divisions inside the community. The structure and content of each history reflects the position of social agent using it. In that sense the social interpretation of winemaking became the scene of negotiating regional identity and "domesticating" the new homeland.

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