Fine wine or Goop?

[Nephele]

CiceroD, thanks for that wine-making book recommendation (and thanks, Asclepiades, for the fixed link). But since (as you pointed out) my poor Concord grapes won't result in any kind of fine wine (not that I can imagine myself actually making any kind of fine wine), I guess I'll continue to get my wine from the shops.

 

Great illustrations, GPM! Bark stoppers and resin, then? Has anyone here mentioned yet (in case I missed it) whether any actual wine residue has been found in any of these amphorae, and whether that might have served as an aid in determining what ancient Roman wine might have tasted like?

 

I did see Pertinax's response in this topic, about having asked Andrew Dalby, and AD saying that "a sweetish cooking grade Madeira" would be an approximation.

 

And here's a UNRV site listing (compiled by Primus Pilus) of Types of Ancient Wines, which gives an indication of the taste of some of them.

 

-- Nephele

[Flavia Gemina]

... And here's a UNRV site listing (compiled by Primus Pilus) of Types of Ancient Wines, which gives an indication of the taste of some of them. -- Nephele

 

What a useful table of Roman wines! Thank you Nephele and Primus Pilus! I am especially interested in the two Egyptian wines -- Mareoticum and Taenioticum -- and will certainly include them in The Scribes from Alexandria, which I'm working on now!

[Pertinax]

Ah yes we see the medicinal wines in the bottom part of the list

 

Marubii is Marrubium vulgarae based -horehound herb chest medicine, the active principles are vasiodilatory as well .

Absinthiates are as in Artemisa absinthum (the various wormwoods)- a digestive/anti-parasitic/worm mix which might also function as a puge in high doses.So this is a distant cousin of Absinthe (well not that distant).

Myrtites are any of the myrtle family , bog myrtle being a key ingredient (and semi-psychoactive) in gruit ale as well.In a medicinal context they are for deep seated urinary infections.

Scilites could cover quite a range, nettle , yarrow (another component of gruit), fenugreek ,fennel ,gum mastika from Chios, angelica and dill.

[CiceroD]

It struck me that my previous note regarding lime might mean that substance had two functions in wine making, helping to seal a porous surface and as an alkalising medium for acidic wine .The presence of lime traces in the amphorae might be solely due to its use as an alkaline medium.

I found this interesting resume:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/72p67180lrx40258/

Obviously other people are just as obsessive as we are here!

 

EEEWW that is a Huge ick to any modern wino!

 

Wine needs its acidity in order to keep well especially in an age before refrigeration.

Additionally wines from a warm climate (like the mediterranean) tend to be low acid in any case

 

additionally if you alkalize wine it become flabby and dead

acidity is why we like lemonade and orange juice (citric acid)

and soda pop (carbonic acid)

 

Either the romans had very drastic taste in their wine, or it was just used to stopper the amphora.

(did it really cover the entire inside of amphorae?)

[vespasian70]

From the table of Roman wines:

'Alban - A preferred wine among the upper classes, it provided several varieties of flavors including very sweet, sweetish, rough, and sharp. It was considered perfect if kept for 15 years.'

 

Recently I tried a Fontana Candida Frascati from the Alban hills. The label says 'In the hills near Rome are areas of volcanic soil over 2,000 years old. Here the grapes for Frascati are grown.' A major hint that they believe they are the sucessors of Roman wine making.

 

Not a bad wine at all IMHO.

[CiceroD]

Recently I tried a Fontana Candida Frascati from the Alban hills. The label says 'In the hills near Rome are areas of volcanic soil over 2,000 years old. Here the grapes for Frascati are grown.'

 

I dont think that rich volcanic soils are much to brag about. All the reading ive ever done puts Calcareous soils a notch above anything else. Besides Poor Soil is ALWAYS preferable for vines. "Grapevines are like athletes they need to suffer a little to perform at their best" Jeff Cox