[Sca-cooks] I Tried a Medieval Diet, and also watered wine

[Terry Decker]

Not all water was equally bad.  Remember the instructions to "take fair 
water?"  As long as you don't have seriously toxic water, the alcohol in 
wine should handle much of the bacteria.  And there is the fact that people 
tend to develop immunity to local bacteria.  I also suspect water was often 
boiled before use.

That aside, aged wine would tend to oxidize and thicken.  Cutting it with 
water will thin it, making it less cloying and brighten the taste.  In 
particular, I'm thinking of the Roman Falernian which was aged in amphorae 
as much as 20 years.  It was also one of the highest alcohol wines being 
noted as the only wine that would burn.

Bear



Beer was safer than water because you had to boil the water to make the 
beer, which killed a lot of the possible nasties.

But how is watering wine safe?  Is the alcoholic level of wine really high 
enough to kill off the same possible nasties?

Like small beer, watered wine might prevent you from getting drunk, but 
would it be safe to drink?

Thanks,
   Stefan