Was reading some wine labels

[artme]

and got to wondering how the wines were described before Europeans "discovered" the Americas.

"Tropical tones' were unknown until about 1500, or perhaps later. " Hints of melon"- members of the cucurbit family that come for South America. Passionfruit was almost certainly not known before 1500.

I often read of "suggestions " of apricot in wine. When did the apricot get to Europe. I know it was grown originally in plcs like Afghanistan and surrounding areas. The Spaniards had grown them under irrigation for years and introduced the Navaho people to their cultivation. In fact Kit Carson was sent in to get the Navaho people off their land. He did this by destroying their apricot orchards.

I even wonder about citrus. When did it arrive in Europe? With Marco pahoolo?

What was Italian cuisine like before Marco Polo brought back the art of pasta making from China? Let's not forget the tomato - it came from Sth.America.

Just a few thoughts that help to further clutter my mind>

[RETIRED]

Ahhh, the things we ponder sometimes.

[fxst]

if long weekends do this to you Artme you have too much time on your hands
In aswer to all the questions you posed however the answer is ..........42
Pete

[artme]

I did the reading after I was too bloody tired to do anything else and the wondering came after that! Mind you, the wonderings had been forming for some time.

I thought the answer might have been closer to 1492, since that was when "Columbus sailed the ocean blue".

[Moe in QLD]

wondering how the wines were described before Europeans "discovered" the Americas.

I'm pretty sure they called it grog

[skot]

I don't think they had "WINEWANK DESCRIPTIONS" on the bottles back in those days.

Just had the word "WINE" in their own language on the container.

[Bushmiller]

Artme

It was a refined era full of thugs, butchers, despots and tyrants. Advertising was beneath them. If they wanted something they took it. If they wanted to know something they tortured first, then took it.

None of this poncing through yellow pages or dreaming up ethereal bylines on the bottle label. Just ask and take. The only issue was how violently these things occured.

I suspect most of the bottles were cleanskins.

Regards
Paul

[bsrlee]

Wine was wine or it was vinegar. They generally didn't even have white wine, it was all some type of 'red'. The classical Romans did recognise 'sparkling' wines, which continues to perplex 'Oinologists' as they are not believed to have had pressure proof wine containers.

Oh, and they did have pasta since at least the Romans, but not spaghetti I think, well before Ser Polo, who may have brought back the idea of noodles (spaghetti) but not the correct technique. Fried or boiled pasta strips, olive oil & garlic. Maybe some dairy in season.