Nos Dracones Sumus 

Virtues of Ordo Vinarius Excellentiae 

1. Responsibility

A member of the Order accepts responsibility toward wine, the vineyard, the fellowship, and oneself.

He acts conscientiously in every aspect of labor and fellowship, respecting nature, the process of winemaking, and those who devote themselves to it.

He keeps his word, supports others, and safeguards the integrity of the Order. Awareness of the consequences of one’s actions makes him a reliable pillar of the community.

Within the Order, responsibility is not merely a duty, but a form of honor that preserves trust and the continuity of knowledge.

2. Knowledge and Wisdom

Knowledge within the Order arises through direct experience — through labor in the vineyard, understanding the cycles of nature, and observing the maturation of wine.

Wisdom develops through patience: in recognizing the proper moment for action, in understanding what nature provides, and in discerning what the community requires.

Knowledge is not merely possessed, but transmitted. Whoever receives it becomes part of a continuous chain of tradition and learning.

3. Inner Confidence

Inner confidence arises from an awareness of one’s abilities, experience, and cultivated judgment.

Just as the vintner knows the land and the rhythms of nature, so too does a member of the Order cultivate trust in his own steadiness and discernment.

Such confidence brings clarity to conduct and firmness in adversity, while strengthening others through example.

4. Discipline

Discipline shapes the habits that lead to the refinement of character and skill.

Just as a vineyard is cultivated through constant care, pruning, and attentive observation, so too does a member of the Order cultivate inner order through consistency and diligence.

Discipline is not limitation, but the foundation of knowledge, trust, and enduring quality.

5. Self-Knowledge

Self-knowledge enables the understanding of one’s thoughts, intentions, and emotions.

It distinguishes impulse from judgment and allows one to act in accordance with inner truth.

As the vintner observes the subtle transformations of the vineyard, so too does a person learn to recognize the movements within the self.

Self-knowledge brings clarity, calmness, and deliberation to action.

6. Inner Steadfastness

Inner steadfastness enables composure in adversity and clarity amid change.

Just as the vineyard endures storms and drought, so too does a person cultivate resilience through experience and firmly held values.

It does not suppress emotion, but brings it into balance and understanding.

7. Inner Dignity

Inner dignity arises from an awareness of one’s worth and character.

It does not depend on external recognition, but on inner consistency and fidelity to oneself.

Just as wine matures in silence, so too does dignity emerge through steadfastness and faithfulness to principle.

8. Temperance

Temperance establishes balance between desire and reason.

It grants clarity, stability, and measure in action.

Within the Order, temperance is a form of strength — the ability to act without excess and without losing a sense of proportion.

9. Humility

Humility creates space for learning and cooperation.

It does not diminish human worth, but frees one from the illusion of superiority.

Through humility, a member of the Order remains open to knowledge, experience, and growth.

10. Compassion and Understanding

Compassion enables the recognition of the feelings and needs of others.

Understanding transforms that recognition into action that supports and unites.

Within the Order, compassion is expressed through the ability to recognize moments of need and to respond with attentiveness, dignity, and measure.

11. Care

Care is attentive presence directed toward others and toward the community.

It creates security, trust, and continuity in relationships.

Just as wine is observed and tended through every stage of its maturation, so too are members of the fellowship supported through attentive presence and care.

12. Respect

Respect recognizes the inherent dignity of every human being.

It enables balance in relationships, listening without domination, and action without coercion.

Respect forms the foundation of a stable and harmonious fellowship.

13. Loyalty

Loyalty is fidelity to principles, fellowship, and the given word.

It does not depend on circumstance, but on inner consistency.

Within the Order, loyalty is a pillar of continuity and trust.

14. Solidarity and Fellowship

Solidarity binds the individual to the community.

The strength of one becomes part of the strength of all.

Fellowship allows the values, knowledge, and traditions of the Order to endure and to be transmitted through time.

15. Ardor

Ardor is the driving force of purposeful action.

It gives strength to labor and constancy to effort.

Within the Order, ardor transforms effort into continuity and beginnings into lasting form.

16. Gratitude

Gratitude cultivates awareness of the value of life, experience, human connection, and all that is received through nature and fellowship.

It enables the recognition of meaning in what has been given.

Gratitude strengthens inner balance and steadiness.

17. Inspiration

Inspiration awakens creativity and directs growth toward higher aims.

It does not impose direction, but reveals possibility.

Within the Order, inspiration becomes a source of personal growth, shared knowledge, and the continued cultivation of wine culture.

18. Leadership

Leadership unites responsibility, wisdom, and empathy.

It is exercised through example, steadiness, and service rather than domination.

True leadership preserves unity, clarity, trust, and continuity within the Order.

Concluding Principle

Within Ordo Vinarius Excellentiae, virtue is not an abstract ideal, but a manner of conduct.

Each member shapes himself through discipline, experience, knowledge, and fellowship, transforming life into a continual work of refinement — like wine that matures through time, care, patience, and measure.