A Taste of History
Marc Millon has been involved with wine, food and travel for many years. He has written several books and travelled extensively. Many years ago he visited every one of Italy’s twenty regions and wrote books dealing with the wine, food and culture of this area.
Each contact he made spoke of the history of the area, both in the time of the early Romans to more recent times. This prompted Marc to write again, looking at the land that produced the grapes from an historical point of view and to the unique wine it produced.
The chapters are complete stories in themselves. They begin with the “Wine Dark Sea,” which we attribute to Homer, and indeed it seems that the Greek influence on wine making, was apparent in ancient times. Some of their methods for storing wine are still used today.
Other topics discussed deal with the Etruscans, the Imperial Purple, Christianity, the Dark Ages, Monasteries and pilgrims. When each region and history has been discussed the wines are revealed describing their characteristics.
Some of the Chapters are surprising and fascinating. Crime and Wine mentions the association the Mafia have with the wine industry. Donne e Vito discusses the part women have played in wine production and how their roles have changed moving towards the vignerons. The future of the wine industry in Italy is also examined and organic wines, as well as sustainability, are two issues gaining attention.
So many wines are reviewed that this becomes a wonderful reference book. The Index is very detailed, and we find references to Shakespeare, Popes, and Pliny among many others. There is also a directory of Wine Producers and contact details for them. What a marvelous way to lose yourself in a history lesson, while sipping a glass of wine and travelling along well-worn paths.
