Early history Ancient Rome and wine

the ruins of carthage. when city destroyed, 1 of few items romans saved agricultural works of mago.

though wild grapevines have grown on italian peninsula since prehistory, historians unable determine precisely when domestic viticulture , winemaking first occurred. possible mycenaean greeks had influences through settlements in southern italy, earliest recorded evidence of greek influence dates 800 bc. viticulture entrenched in etruscan civilization, centered around modern winemaking region of tuscany.

because ancient greeks saw wine staple of domestic life , viable economic trade commodity, settlements encouraged plant vineyards local use , trade greek city-states. southern italy s abundance of indigenous vines provided ideal opportunity wine production, giving rise greek name region: oenotria ( land of vines ).

as rome grew collection of settlements kingdom , republic, culture of roman winemaking increasingly influenced viticultural skills , techniques of regions conquered , integrated roman empire, once, dry. greek settlements of southern italy under roman control 270 bc. etruscans, had established trade routes gaul, conquered 1st century bc.

the punic wars carthage had particularly marked effect on roman viticulture. in addition broadening cultural horizons of roman citizenry, carthaginians introduced them advanced viticultural techniques, in particular work of mago. when libraries of carthage ransacked , burned, among few carthaginian works survive 26 volumes of mago s agricultural treatise, subsequently translated latin , greek in 146 bc. although work did not survive modern era, has been extensively quoted in influential writings of romans pliny, columella, varro , gargilius martialis.

golden age

for of rome s winemaking history, greek wine highly prized, domestic roman wine commanding lower prices. 2nd century bc saw dawn golden age of roman winemaking , development of grand cru vineyards (a type of first growths in rome). famous vintage of 121 bc became known opimian vintage, named consul lucius opimius. remarkable abundant harvest , unusually high quality of wine produced, of vintage s best examples being enjoyed on century later.

pliny elder wrote extensively first growths of rome—most notably falernian, alban , caecuban wines. other first-growth vineyards included rhaeticum , hadrianum, along po river in modern-day regions of lombardy , venice respectively; praetutium (not related modern italian city of teramo, historically known praetutium) along adriatic coast near border of emilia-romagna , marche; , lunense in modern-day tuscany. around rome estates of alban, sabinum, tiburtinum, setinum , signinum. southward naples estates of caecuban, falernian, caulinum, trebellicanum, massicum, gauranium, , surrentinum. in sicily first-growth estate of mamertinum.

at high point in empire s history of wine, estimated rome consuming on 180 million litres (47 million gallons) of wine annually, bottle of wine each day every citizen.

pompeii

a fresco depicting mercury (god of commerce) , bacchus (god of wine) in pompeii, in hot-food establishment (thermopolium) served city prior destruction.

one of important wine centres of roman world city of pompeii, located south of naples. area home vast expanse of vineyards, serving important trading city roman provinces abroad , principal source of wine city of rome.

the pompeians developed widespread reputation wine-drinking capacity. prevalent worship of bacchus, god of wine, left depictions of god on frescoes , archaeological fragments throughout region. amphoras stamped emblems of pompeian merchants have been found across modern-day remnants of roman empire, including bordeaux, narbonne, toulouse , spain. evidence in form of counterfeit stamps on amphoras of non-pompeian wine suggests popularity , notoriety may have given rise wine fraud.

the 79 ad eruption of mount vesuvius had devastating effect on roman wine industry. vineyards across region , warehouses storing recent 78 ad vintage decimated, resulting in dramatic shortage of wine. damage trading port hindered flow of wine rome s outlying provinces, aggravating scarcity. available wine rose sharply in price, making unaffordable affluent. wine famine caused panicking romans hurriedly plant vineyards in areas near rome, such extent grain fields uprooted in favor of grapevines.

the subsequent wine surplus created successful efforts relieve wine shortage caused depression in price, hurting commercial entrance of wine producers , traders. uprooting of grain fields contributed food shortage growing roman population. in 92 ad, roman emperor domitian issued edict not banned new vineyards in rome ordered uprooting of half of vineyards in roman provinces.

although there evidence suggest edict largely ignored in roman provinces, wine historians have debated effect of edict on infant wine industries of spain , gaul. intent of edict fewer vineyards result in enough wine domestic consumption, sparse amount trade. while vineyards established in these growing wine regions, ignoring of trade considerations may have suppressed spread of viticulture , winemaking in these areas. domitian s edict remained in effect 2 centuries until emperor probus repealed measure in 280 ad.