Wine was produced north of the Alps even before the region was conquered by the Romans. The grapes were even cultivated in England under the Roman Empire.
Wine was one of the chief indicators of the élite life style which gave cultural coherence to the systems as Greek and Roman civilization.
It acted as a differentiator, even within exclusive high ranking circles.
Wine drinking had not been the regular Roman habit in the earlier Republic that it became during the Empire.
In earlier times Romans had been content with water and home-made brews concocted out of all manner of fruits, flowers and vegetables: figs, medlars, roses, parsley, saffron and other strong flavorings mixed sometimes no doubt with juice of the grape.
Wine was traded to Gaul from Italy from the 3rd century BC. But a great expansion wine export began in the second half of the 2nd century BC from Etruria, Latium and Campania to all areas of Roman territory.
Wine was particularly in demand from the late 2nd century BC in southern Gaul, where viticulture had not yet been introduced.
Wine became national drinks of the Romans. Usually mixed with water and honey, it was served even to young children.
The wine in ancient Romans was often unlike wine as tasted today. It was more medium to which a multitude of ingredients were added, from such understandable additions as herbs and spices, to more improbable ingredients of seawater, pitch and resin.
Wine in ancient Roman
