| The history of Italian wine begins with the first | | | | alcohol and were generally more acidic, sturdy and |
| wines that originated in the Middle East. The Old | | | | powerful than modern fine wines. It was |
| Testament has many references to wine. Wine | | | | customary to mix wine, which may otherwise |
| was used by the early Minoan, Greek, and | | | | have been unpalatable, with a good proportion of |
| Etruscan civilizations, which brings us to the roots | | | | water. They preferred sweet wine, but |
| of Italian wine history. | | | | interestingly their best, most prized wine was |
| Italy is one of the oldest wine regions in the | | | | white coming from the area that they thought |
| world, and the history of Italian wine has roots | | | | was the best wine-growing region, the Falernian |
| that are even older. When we tell the history of | | | | region near Naples. They mixed additives such as |
| Italian wine, we must speak of people who have | | | | honey with this wine making an aperitif called |
| been consuming and relishing wine for thousands | | | | mulsum. Herbs and spices were also often added. |
| of years. Its ancient origins trace to the | | | | Wine and salt water was known to be mixed. |
| Mesopotamians, sometime between 4000 and | | | | Chalk was mixed with wine as well to reduce |
| 3000 B.C., who lived near present-day Iran. Many | | | | acidity. |
| left their marks on the Mediterranean shores. The | | | | When we study the history of Italian wine, we |
| further study of Italian wine history tells us the | | | | note the population explosion in Rome from 300 |
| Spaniards brought vines into Sardinia, Sicily and | | | | B.C. to the beginning of the Christian era, when |
| other places centuries after the Arabs and | | | | demand for wine increased greatly. The Romans |
| Phoenicians planted what many believe to be the | | | | made large contributions to the ancient art of |
| first "foreign" vines in Italy, beginning the history | | | | viniculture; they are credited for using props and |
| of Italian wine. | | | | trellises. Italian wine history recognizes the |
| The Etruscans (English name for the people of | | | | Romans as the first to understand that aged |
| ancient Italy and Corsica whom the ancient | | | | wines taste better and that certain wines should |
| Romans called Etrusci) from Asia Minor also | | | | be aged between 10 and 25 years. They |
| produced wines. The history of Italian wine was | | | | improved the Greek presses used for extracting |
| then passed to the Romans who recognized the | | | | juice, and classified which grapes grew best in |
| potential of the slopes that gave them Falernum | | | | which climate, increasing yields. The study of |
| (renowned wine produced in ancient Rome, often | | | | Italian wine history teaches that the Romans |
| mentioned in Roman literature but has since | | | | were the first to store wine in wooden barrels, |
| disappeared), Caecubum (came from a small | | | | understand that wines kept in tightly closed |
| territory, ager Caecubus, at Amyclae in coastal | | | | containers improved with age, and how to utilize |
| Latium), Mamertinum and other heady wines | | | | the cork. |
| eulogized by poets from Horace (65 B.C. - 8 B.C.) | | | | Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world |
| to Virgil (70 B.C - 19 B.C). The Mycenaean Greeks | | | | with more vineyards than any other country, |
| settled in Sicily and southern Italy in the eighth and | | | | including France. Grapes are grown in almost |
| seventh centuries B.C., driven by unsettled | | | | every part of Italy, with more than 1 million |
| conditions at home, and found the climate so | | | | vineyards under cultivation. Italian wine history |
| beneficial to growing grape vines that the ancient | | | | takes us on a journey of over 2,000 years. |
| Greeks were prompted to nickname their colonies | | | | Today, Italian wines tend to be higher in acid, dry |
| "Oenotria" ("oinos" meaning wine in Greek), the | | | | and can be light bodied as in a simple Chianti, |
| land of wine. | | | | medium bodied as in a Montepulcino, or full bodied |
| Romans loved their wine, drinking it with every | | | | as in an Amarone or Brunello. |
| meal. Roman red and white wines contained more | | | | |