Romans favoured Pinot Noir, Syrah types
Researchers have been digging into the types of wines favoured by the Romans
The Romans loved wine so much that they are thought to have consumed 180 million litres a year — the equivalent of a bottle of wine per citizen per day.
But until now it has been unclear what exactly they were drinking.
Now researchers at the universities of York and Copenhagen have analyzed Roman grape seeds discovered at classical sites in France and found they were close relatives of the modern Syrah and Pinot Noir varieties.
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest wine varieties in the world, although the date of its arrival in France is unclear. Some ancient sources claimed the Romans brought it with them, while others said the invaders had discovered that Gallic tribes were making wine from wild native grapes.
Although researchers did not find an identical genetic match with modern-day seeds, they found a close relationship between Pinot-savagnin and Syrah-mondeuse Blanche families.
“Based on writings by the Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder, and others, we know the Romans had advanced knowledge of winemaking and designated specific names to different grape varieties, but it has, so far, been impossible to link their Latin names to modern varieties,” said Jazmin Ramos-madrigal, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Copenhagen.
“Now we have the opportunity to use genetics to know exactly what the Romans were growing in their vineyards.”
Researchers used the extensive genetic database of modern grapevines to test and compare 28 archeological seeds from French sites dating back to the Iron Age, Roman era and medieval period.
The researchers are sure the seeds were used to grow wines because the grapes would have been small, thick-skinned and full of seeds, which would not have been good for eating.
Identical seeds were also found at two Roman more than 600 kilometres apart and dating back 2,000 years.
One archeological grape seed excavated from a medieval site in Orleans in central France was genetically identical to the Savagnin Blanc variety still grown today, meaning the same vines have been grown for at least 900 years. This variety, which is often confused with Sauvignon Blanc, can still be found growing in the Jura region of France, where it is used to produce bottles of Vin Jaune, as well as in parts of Central Europe, where it often goes by the name Traminer.
“For the wine industry today, these results could shed new light on the value of some grape varieties,” said Nathan Wales, a lecturer in archeological science with the University of York.