wine, Greek and Roman

Abstract

Grape cultivation reached Greece towards the end of the 3rd millennium bce, and Italy around the beginning of the 1st millennium bce. From the 8th century bce onward, systematic viticulture expanded, and wine became deeply embedded in Greco-Roman society at all levels. It was the beverage of choice for both the wealthy and the poor, a major intoxicant in the ancient world, and an essential source of energy in the daily diet. Wine was widely used in religion, feasts, and medicine, and was considered a key marker of civilized culture. Combined with the vine’s high productive potential and its low agronomic needs, all this made wine a primary feature of the agrarian economy and an important product of (inter)national trade. Literature, iconography, and archaeology sketch a picture of significant Greek and Roman realizations in vine-growing techniques and winemaking technology, thus testifying to a level of scientific expertise unmatched until the 19th century. The consumption of wine was stratified and diversified, with the market divided between premium vintages for the rich, ordinary wines for the masses, and winery drinks for the lower classes.

Making wine in earthenware vessels: a comparative approach to Roman vinification

“…Wine played a fundamental role in Greco-Roman Antiquity (Van Limbergen 2020). A quintessential tool in Roman winemaking was the dolium , a large earthenware vessel with a rounded body, a flat base and a wide mouth that was used for fermenting, storing and ageing wines.…”

“…On the other hand, dolia (and qvevri) were made in specialised workshops, using specific clays and firing procedures aimed at obtaining ideal air permeability for wine fermentation, and hence flor formation. In addition, many Roman high-quality wines were made from raisined grapes, which produced musts with high sugar levels ideal for flor building (Van Limbergen 2017, 2020; Dodd 2020: 59–64). These surface yeasts produce several chemical compounds, including acetaldehyde and acetoin, but most notably sotolon, which is responsible for the slightly spicy taste of flor wines (and indeed many qvevri wines), and imparts aromas of toasted bread, apples, roasted walnuts and curry (Robinson 2006).…”