Western Civ Survey 101, Through a Wine Glass

I'm about midway on Thomas Pellechia's book, Wine The 8,000 Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade. Pellechia has been in the wine business forever, having owned a winery, owned a wine shop...but per his bio he is not a historian. Pay no mind. Pellechia has done his homework and then some.

The book feels a bit like a Western Civ survey course...it skips like a stone across the millenia. However there are fascinating details.

The excavation of Pompeii revealed some 200 wine bars, with the prices still written on the walls.

Rome had the first cult wine, comprised of three vineyards separately vinified. It maintained cult status for 300 years.

The early vessels for wine transport were amphora that were pointed on the bottom- they held them in place by wedging them into holes.

Grappa, still popular in Italy, is made from pomace, the mass of leftover skins and seeds, and was originally made by the peasants who could not afford wine.

Viticulture was studied and written about by early Romans who advocated the idea of terroir.

Overall, I am struck by how little things have changed. Status, prestige, competition for markets, debates among viticultural gurus, branding, taxes, distribution channels, wine experts who tasted and rated wines. It was all there 2000 or more years ago.

Cheers,



Dave