Wine in Ancient Rome

As to the wine and wine making Ancient Romans improved what was given to them by Ancient Greeks and Etruscans. They also introduced wine to territories they had conquered.

Some elements of wine making in Ancient Rome managed to survive until our days. Wine making in Ancient Rome was well described in the works of writers like for example Cato or Horace. As to the fact that distillation was not known then wine was the strongest alcoholic beverage.

Wine was usually stored in clay jars known as amphorae. In jar about 26 litres of wine could be kept. To keep the wine in this jar fresh it was closed with cork. Some cement was put over the cork.

Satyr working on a wine press, 1st century AD, British Museum

Romans used to add some lead to their wines. They did it for two reasons. Firstly lead was believed to keep the wine in good condition for longer period of time. Secondly lead supposedly improved the taste and appearance of the wine. That is why lead poisoning was one of the most common cause of death in Ancient Rome.

Almost always wine was consumed with some water. It was done in the following ratio - 1 part of wine and 2 parts of water. Wine consumed that way was known as Merum. Those who drink their wine without water or "merum" were considered primitive.

One of special wines made in Ancient Rome was Conditum Paradoxum. It was made with white wine, honey, bay leaves, fennel seeds, pepper, saffron and raisins. Honey was the main ingredient in another wine of that time. It was called Mulsum. It was drank as an aperitif.

Old drunkard, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy

In Ancient Rome wine was available to all segments of the society. It was not always so. In some periods there were those believed that women should drink less wine or do not drink wine at all. Wine was traditionally consumed in a tavern or "thermopolium". It was often built next to a public bath.

Wine was used in various religious rituals like those of Bacchus. Wine was and still is present nowadays among Christians and Jews. People also noticed that it has positive influence on human health. They believe wine could help to those with dementia, urinary illnesses, diarrhea etc. Many Ancient Roman dishes included wine as one of ingredients.

References

Ancient Rome and wine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome_and_wine#Wine_in_Roman_culture

82 Delicious Facts About Wine
http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/08/21_wine.html

Conditum Paradoxum - Spiced Wine
http://pass-the-garum.blogspot.hr/2014/12/conditum-paradoxum-spiced-wine.html

Wine and Rome
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/wine/wine.html


Images

Satyr working on a wine press, 1st century AD, British Museum
(photo by Jastrow, Wikimedia)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Satyrs_vine_press_BM_D550.jpg

Old drunkard, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy (photo by Jastrow,
Wikimedia)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_drunkard_Musei_Capitolini_MC299.jpg