By Mkrtich Harutyunyan and Manuel Malfeito-Ferreira, Academic Editor: Fabio Chinnici

The purpose of this review is to provide a general description of ancient winemaking techniques and wine styles that were most lauded in antiquity, in support of their revival and dissemination today. From the first fully excavated winery, dating from the late fifth to the early fourth millennium BC, the gentle crushing of grapes by foot and the probable absence of maceration indicate that most wines were made with the aim of reducing astringency. The oxidative nature of winemaking would have resulted in rapid browning, so that wines made from red grapes would have had a similar color to those made from white grapes after being aged in clay vats for several years. The difficulty in preventing the wine surface contact with the air would have resulted in biological ageing under the yeast pellicle being a common occurrence. This phenomenon was not considered a flaw, but a characteristic feature of highly prized wines. Dried grapes were used to make sweet wines, which were also highly prized, therefore justifying the construction of dedicated facilities. The addition of boiled juices, salt, resins, mixtures of herbs, spices, fruit juices, flowers, or honey to the wines would have increased their taste pleasantness while improving their preservability and medicinal properties. Indeed, today’s preference for flavored wines with a soft mouthfeel seems to have been representative of the ancient elite consumers. Overall, the technical interpretation of winemaking described in this review will provide solid historical support for the current rebirth of ancient production methods, particularly those using pottery vessels.

 

 

1. Introduction

Viticulture emerged in the Neolithic period (10,000–4000 BC) in the South Caucasus region [1,2] and subsequently spread throughout the Mediterranean [3]. Ancient viticultural and oenological practices were described by the most famous Roman authors in their agricultural treatises—Cato (c. 234–149 BC), Varro (c. 116–27 BC), Pliny the Elder (c. AD 23/24–79), Columella (c. 1st century AD), Palladius (late 4th/early 5th century AD), and an anonymous treatise (based on works by ancient authors) from the 10th century AD Byzantine Greek agricultural manual Geoponika [4]. The interpretation of archaeological finds and written sources has been described in detail by Tchernia and Brun [5], Thurmond [6], McGovern [3], and Dodd [4]. These authors have provided a wealth of knowledge based on their historical and archaeological backgrounds. However, there is a lack of interpretation of the ancient sources based on recent advances in wine science and technology. Moreover, the sustainability of wine requires not only environmental considerations, but also a thorough exploration of the historical aspects and cultural heritage underlying its production [7,8].

The aim of this review is, therefore, to present an updated interpretation of the earliest historical events related to the routes of winemaking dissemination from the perspective of researchers with backgrounds in oenology. Particular emphasis has been placed on selected examples that can illustrate the techniques, wine styles, and consumer preferences described in antiquity. It is hoped that wine professionals will gain a comprehensive technical description that will support and justify efforts to develop sustainable wines based on ancient techniques.

2. Understanding Winemaking in the Earliest Wineries

2.1. The Armenian Areni-1 Winery

Figure 1 shows the locations of the earliest findings related to winemaking in the South Caucasus, described by McGovern [3], and in the Levant.

 

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Source: OIV, MDPI

Photo Credit: Exotic Wine Travel