[Sca-cooks] Blueberry/ Gooseberry Wine Documentation?

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 19 Jan 2004, at 9:37, david friedman wrote:

> >De Nola mentions sour pomegranate wine ("vino de granadas agras" -- wine
> >made from sour pomegranates).  
> >Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
> 
> Is it possible that "vino" is being used loosely for an unfermented 
> fruit juice? Pomegranate juice (both sweet and sour) is mentioned in 
> the 13th c. Andalusian Manuscrito Anonimo.

I wouldn't think so, because there are many other references to pomegranate 
juice ("jugo de granadas") in the same work.  I checked it against the 1520 
Catalan edition, and that same recipe says "vi" (Catalan for "wine").

I just did a little poking around the Web, and a search on "vino de granadas" 
brought up an interesting reference.  There is an online transcription of a 
1551 health manual, the "Libro del Regimen de Salud" by Luis Lobera de 
Avila.
http://www.ucm.es/info/folchia/LOBERA3.htm
He says that in some cases, before bleeding a patient, the person should be 
given a sop in pomegranate wine or in verjuice ("sopa en vino de granadas o 
en agraz").

My guess would be that pomegranate wine was used medicinally, and as a 
souring ingredient in cooking, but I have not found any evidence that it was 
used as a beverage.


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net