Gradation and quality of wines in the Greek and Roman worlds

摘要

Alkaios, a 6th-century BCE Greek lyric poet, is not unique in his praise of wine and Dionysos, son of Zeus and Semele; many other ancient writers sang the praises of wine and its god, Dionysos. Wine in the ancient world was the major beverage consumed with or without food. After all, what else was there in an age without Coca-Cola, tea or coffee to drink? Therefore, the lack of other beverages and wines daily consumption help to explain its preeminence in ancient literature and the importance given to the god of wine, Dionysos, in art. Ancient artists depicted his representation and those of his followers, satyrs and maenads, on vases and in murals more often than other gods. In the past historians and archaeologists have examined these representations with respect to their artistic value and discussed the origins and processes of winemaking, but they have paid little attention to the qualities of wines as noted by the ancients themselves. It is this aspect of wine which is the primary thrust of this article; that is, to examine how the ancients in the Graeco-Roman worlds classified their wines and what they admired in them. In the ancient literature wine is discussed often, with writers advising how to raise and care for vines, when to harvest the grapes and how best to process them. However, ancient authors did not limit themselves to these topics; they also expressed their opinions and those of others regarding the quality of various wines.