[Sca-cooks] Re: vinegar and sauerbraten

[Chris Stanifer]

--- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net> wrote:

> > Why do you make this assumption?  If anything, I am inclined to say that wine 'in period'
> (which
> > spans a very long time) was likely more concentrated than it is today.  I am basing this
> > assumption on the ancient Greek custom of diluting wine with water (certainly something we
> would
> > balk at today).  Perhaps this custom was a way to stretch the wine, but I think it was likely
> more
> > to make it less intense.
> 
> Hm... I agree that the idea was probably to make the wine less intense, 
> but whether the unwatered wine was stronger than modern wine isn't 
> clear. I have the suspicion that wine was drunk watered to allow one to 
> drink more without feeling the effects, while still having the 
> health-giving properties of wine in the drink.


Entirely possible, as well.  However, if we consider that Grappa was made by Italian winery
workers out of the 'leftovers' of the vintinig process, and Grappa was still a fairly strong drink
(an assumption based on the strength of modern Grappa, which may be a mistake), it stands to
reason that the fresh wine was quite potent.  I am not saying that Grappa is or is not a period
libation, mind you...merely that it has been around for quite some time, and may have been / may
be a barometer by which to guage the strength of wines in Antiquity.

Or I am wrong :)

William de Grandofrt

=====
Through teeth of sharks, the Autumn barks.....and Winter squarely bites me.


		
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