🍷 Wine in ancient Rome

Wine in ancient Rome is the story of how the Romans grew grapes across their empire and drank wine. Ancient Rome and wine: the Romans planted vines across the empire, from Spain and Gaul to the Rhine and Danube. Almost all layers of society drank wine, from slaves to senators. It was usually diluted with water and rarely drunk neat. Wine from Italy was shipped by sea across the empire.

Wine was stored and carried in clay vessels. Amphorae were used for transport, and large dolia sunk into the ground were used for fermenting and storing wine at the estate. The Romans had their own grape varieties, famous wines and scholars who wrote about viticulture, such as Columella. The Roman saying in vino veritas, truth in wine, is still known today.

Many of Europe's modern wine areas appeared thanks to the Romans. Italy continues Roman winemaking, but its traces are also found in France, Spain and Germany. This history helps explain where European wine culture comes from and why it has so much in common.