SC - Historical varieties

[grizly at mindspring.com]

sca-cooks at ansteorra.org wrote:
> In a message dated 4/3/01 8:49:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time, grizly at mindspring.com writes:
<< It seems the track of thought here is that there were varieites grown to make verjuice. >> 
**Ras added **
 At least two varieties used for wine making are used to make verjuice at an  Australian winery today. They are Cabernet sauvignon and Riesling, both of  which are ancient varieties. Anyway this information does lead some credence  to your theory.  ************

I accidentally deleted the rather well written long reply (by the original poster of the evidence/citations) to my inquiry.  I appreciated the effort, and would appreciate someone sending me that post privatley to add to my files.

I guess I am looking for something, if it is available, that can help me bridge the connection between the statements containing the phrases "verjuice grpaes" of "grapes for verjuice" and the conclusion that they were grown for that purpose rather than a byproduct (or more likley than byproduct is co-product) of a larger cultivation scheme for the grapes.  The evidence is useful and leads right up to the brink . . . then leaves me to make a certain logical leap or inference.  It is a reasonable inference given the ubiquity of verjuice in 14th and 15th century cookery books, and references to production, yet it is still inference, and I am hoping for a little more security in making the statement that "grape variety X was grown for the piurpose of making verjuice rather than wine".  It would be a good thing in my life to feel more confident about it, but I also realize there are a great many uncertainties in our chosen field of study.

Scully makes several statements (that were well and truly quoted) that can still go either way . . . to state that there were dedicated varietals for verjuice, or to leave the possibility that the harvests were only partially used for verjuice, and the rest for wine and other uses.  I guess I am looking for a smoking gun, or at least a stronger reason to release my doubts/vascillations on the ideas.  I'm going to look for agricultural referencing this weekend for the verjuice production and wine production.  After all, it is my uncertainty that I need to assuage :o)

niccolo difrancesco