Archaeologists recently uncovered the secrets of how Romans preferred their wine two thousand years ago. It is widely known that the ancient Romans really liked wine. It was part of their stories and pictures, as well as others things left behind. But how it was actually made had remained a mystery until quite recently.
Two researchers, Dimitri Van Limbergen from Ghent University and Paulina Komar from the University of Warsaw, did some detective work. They compared ancient dolia (wine containers from Roman times) with the ones we use today for producing wine.
These dolia weren’t just bowls for storing wine. Rather, they were like ancient wine factories. They did just about everything, including serving as a vessel for the wine and aiding in its production. Furthermore, wine stored in dolia would taste better over time.
Roman wine tasted ‘spicy’ and smelled like walnuts
The discoveries, detailed in the Antiquity journal, suggest that Roman wine had a hint of spiciness and smelled like toasted bread and walnuts.
Dimitri Van Limbergen, one of the researchers, explained to Newsweek that their study challenges what we thought we knew about Roman winemaking. Firstly, using the techniques that were discovered, the Romans produced better, tastier, and more stable wines than we previously thought possible.
Van Limbergen highlighted the extensive use of wine cellars with clay containers, or dolia, in the Roman world from the second to fourth century AD. This serves as a clue of a massive wine industry unlike anything seen before. Indeed, the Romans had a high level of expertise and utilized the full range of sensory experiences in the wine-making process.
Moreover, Van Limbergen noted that our modern way of classifying wines doesn’t quite capture the essence of Roman wine. In those days, the Romans didn’t merely stick to white and red wine varieties.
Rather, Roman wines flaunted a spectrum of colors. This included everything from white and yellow to goldish, amber, brown, and even red and black. This all depended on the grapes and treatment.
Solids from the grape separated during fermentation
The particular study of Roman winemaking marks the first time anyone has closely examined the role of vessels in this Roman art. Thus, findings are entirely new.
Nowadays, we make most of our wine in large metal containers and produce a ton of it at once. Nonetheless, it must be noted that the dolia used by the Romans are quite similar to vessels, called gvevri, used by Georgians. Both utilized comparable processes.
Based on the study, the narrow bottom of the dolia helped separate grape solids from the wine during fermentation. This is quite different from the usual types of wine we consume nowadays and was the reason for the orangey hue.
