The European Knighthood of the Vine should fulfill two principal tasks.
The outward message:
To advance the better use and perception of wine = support of wine growing and making = contribution to material values.
The inward mission:
Formation of a knighthood community. Everybody should adopt knightly manners = fostering of the knight’s mentality = contribution to ideal values.
What auspices make this especially possible? Certainly not those in materialism dominating the spirit of this age.
The Knighthood neither needs significant financial funds nor many – too many members. Much more, the Knighthood draws its power from the ideal and idealistic sphere.
As auspices and sources of this we should mention:
- The spiritual content as well as form of our Proclamation and documents. The Knighthood operates in historically proven structures of the seat of our Senate, the free city of Eisenstadt, even though adapted for today’s purposes.
- The cautious and justifiable selection of Knight Confederates; men who have credit and power to move things.
- The Constitution of the Knighthood defines other essential characteristics of the knight confederation.
- The beauty of knighthood festivals and charismatic power – contribution to furthering the product image.
The knighthoods values:
“Knowledge is power and advantage.” - The Knighthood and wine stand above politics and above political parties. On the one hand, the Knighthood does not follow any party policy in any way and, on the other hand political affiliation of individual Knight Confederates is of no importance for the Knighthood itself; it is what it is, i.e. private matter.
- The Knighthood avows itself to Christian values and it stands above confessions – a way to good principle in this world. Also, the sphere of faith does not represent any conflict area for the Knighthood. It is not baptism, but avowal to Christian values that is required for membership.
- The Knighthood does not know any economic conflict area between the production, trade and cooperative society. In the Knighthood circle there are representatives of all – representing profane and also oppositional interests – areas, united by the motto of our coat of arms “IN HONOREM DEI et IN HONOREM VINI”; or in other words:
“If two always have the same opinion, one of them is superfluous.” - The Knighthood possesses the power of social integration. It is no guild, but it associates personalities from various social and occupational spheres.
- The Knighthood has its own press media called Das Weinblatt (the Vine Leaf). It ensures power and independence in today’s information and media society.
- The Knighthood is active in various regions, i.e. at an international level.
- The Knighthood is a noble platform for interdisciplinary scientific meetings dealing with the topic of wine.
- The Knighthood must maintain its autonomous position to be able to conduct dialogues with a profane organization about a factual turn for the better in matters concerning wine to a high extent. The Knighthood operates an international life-strategic network.
- The Knighthood gives everybody the experience of a noble community; in a familiarly, orderly way it can serve as a support and strength for every member. The threshold sentence for admittance into the Knighthood is:
“It is only once you have overcome envy and start giving yourself to other causes that you become a truly chivalrous person.” - In other areas, for instance in the religious, political or cultural area, Burgenland is a part of a larger whole. It is only the vine of this country that gives the mandate to our Knighthood of the Vine to be not a part, but the global head. This exclusivity and peace always start in the human mind. This is where the first starting point to good and consequently peace lies.