Adesso! Online: The FIERI Boston Newsletter

June 2001
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FIERI Boston Update
by the President

Italia Per Treno -- Andiamo! (Part I)
by Bob Yantosca

Italia Per Treno -- Andiamo! (Part II)
by Bob Yantosca

A Fare li Jarri
by Rina Crugnale

Why do people avoid doctors?
by Dr. Dino Messina, MD

A brief history of wine in Italy
by Fiorentino Iantosca

A Brief History Of Wine In Italy
by Fiorentino Iantosca

The phenomenon of wine in Italy seems to fall into place with the nature and location of the land – the Mediterranean sunshine and cool mountain air create the perfect environment for grapes and generate the relaxed atmosphere of wine enjoyment. Wild grapes grew throughout the ancient Mediterranean, and Italy’s wine heritage dates back some 4,00 years to when prehistoric peoples pressed the wild grapes into juice which, as if by magic, fermented into wine. In Italy grapevines were then cultivated both in the north by the Etruscans, and in the south by Greek colonists. The ancient Greeks dubbed the colonies in southern Italy Oenotria, the “land of wine”. The Etruscans viewed winemaking as more of an art form and left art and many artifacts in their spacious tombs attesting to this.

Preoccupied by more pressing affairs such as conquest and expansion, the Romans were at first less enthusiastic about the production of wine. After conquering the Etruscans, the Samnites, the Greeks, the Macedonians and the Carthaginians, (to but name a few) Rome controlled the Mediterranean and turned to the wealth that could be gained by investing in the vineyards. Drinking wine honored Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and the Romans propagated the cult of Bacchus to all corners of the Empire, developing a prosperous trade in wine throughout the Mediterranean lands and beyond.

Distillation was unknown in the ancient world, so wine was a very strong drink, with an alcohol content as much as fifteen or sixteen percent. Wine was almost always mixed with water. Drinking undiluted wine was considered the habit of provincials and barbarians. Sometimes the wine was flavored with honey, spices, resin, or even seawater.

Pliny writes that by 154 BC wine production in Italy was unsurpassed. Pliny, known for his written works about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, was also the author of Natural History, a series that explores among many other things the history of wine and its viticulture and vinification. From him we learn that traditionally the best wine was reputed to be the Caecuban from Latium. It no longer existed, however, because Nero had dug up the vineyards for the construction of a canal. During Pliny’s lifetime, the first century AD, the best wine was Falernian. This changed with the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed some of the best vineyards in Italy. Ironically it is the eruption of the volcano that allows us the greatest insight into the daily life of Romans. As the hot ash and lava smothered Pompeii, the city was instantly buried - freezing forever a vivid picture of Roman life at the time. It is in Pompeii that we become aware of the important role wine played in the daily life of Italians. Some two hundred taverns have been identified in Pompeii; eight on a single street near the public bathhouses. On one wall the price list reads “For one as you can drink wine; for two, you can drink the best; for four, you can drink Falernian.” (as = a monetary unit)

The Romans were sophisticated in their knowledge of viticulture and enology that their techniques were not equalled again until the 17th or 18th century when Italians and other Europeans began to regard winemaking as a science. An example of the Roman expertise in winemaking can be observed in the production of vintage wines. Because the Romans stored wine in large amphorae, which were airtight, they were able to age and store wine for extended periods of time. Throughout Europe amphorae were later replaced with wooden barrels making it impossible to preserve wine for an extended period of time. Vintage wines did not reappear until the 17th century, with the development of the glass bottle and cork. Italy’s relationship with wine has been a long one, and it continues to dominate despite the affairs wine has had with other nations. Wines are produced in every region of Italy, making the boot the largest producer of wine in the world. It also exports more wine than any other country. Italian wines are the top imported wines in the United States. Like in Pompeii almost two thousand years ago, Italian wines still range from expensive “collector’s items” to “everyday” wines. Today Italy governs its winemaking with the most stringent laws in the world and is pledged to continue perfecting its regulations. It is no wonder that Italy remains a paradise for wine lovers!