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The origin of the vine The Greeks The Romans The Byzantines Modern Times Home page

Viticolture in Roman Italy Vines were considered to be sacred by Romans as for the Greeks, and in south Italy vineculture and oenology continued to flourish. Subsequent to the dominion of the Mediterranean territories between the V & III century BC, the rural economy, and especially vineculture went under profound transformation. The affluence of wheat arriving from the newly conquisted lands lowered significantly the value of products on the mainland and the land proprietors need for money meant they began to re-adress agricultural practices, and the vine became one of the most financially rewarding cultivation of all.  Decline of the Roman empire Decline and crisis in the roman empire began in 2AD. Civil wars, military anarchy, fiscal burdens, indifference of the landowners, abandonment of the estates and countryside brought about a reduction in vineculture, so much so that with the fall of the empire it appears that vineculture was to vanish with it. Vineculture and Oenological practices we're perfectioned by the Roman through the help of Asian and Greek slaves. The goodness and the fame of Italian wines became well known, and alongside began the exportation of wine and oenological products. In this era the empire held a true wine monopoly. This high point for vine culture was between 2BC and 1AD, and it is characterised many important writings on vineculture and oenology.

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