8 May
Emlyn Dodd: Tastes, places, and processes of ancient winemaking
Wine underpinned and permeated Hellenic and Roman antiquity. It could transcend social status – drunk by the rich, poor and the spectrum between – yet also embedded hierarchy through a range of desirable and undesirable, expensive and inexpensive qualities. It was found in domestic, religious, medicinal and commercial contexts and had the potential to create enormous wealth or cause financial ruin. This lecture combined archaeological, artistic, and historical evidence to explore Hellenic and Roman wine production, from small urban vineyards to extravagant imperial villas. There were opportunities throughout to get a taste of ancient wine, with several wines made using ancient techniques able to be tasted, connected into discussions of ancient evidence.