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First we hit on the Background on Roman Empire The Roman Empire lasted from around 753 BC until 476 AD and encompassed most of Europe The impact was far, wide, long lasting – Romans started the industry all over Europe AND they discovered winemaking practices that are still around today Expansion of Wine We discuss the Greeks and how they got the ball rolling with viticulture in Italy Then we go over the conquest of Europe by the Romans vis a vis wine – from the Punic Wars and Carthage on. Spain, Gaul (France), Germany, and Britain   Golden Age of Wine We talk about the Golden Age of wine in Rome in the 2nd century BC We discuss the medicinal, social, and religious roles of wine -- including how it was used by wealthy people to show their friends how rich they were The transformation of wine into a daily necessity where everyone from the rich to slaves drank it   Viticulture in the Roman era The concept of terroir is not new – writers from Pliny to Columella discussed the relationship between the land and the vineyard – soil type, slope, proximity to water were all important to viticulture Winemaking wasn’t so different from how it is today – the importance of how you press grapes, sur lie aging, the process of making sweet wine, and storage and aging were cited by writers Romans differentiated between vineyards and had famed wines: we talk Falernian, Alban, Caecuban and more We discuss the importance of place name v grape type and how the tradition continues All in all, a dork-fest of an episode, but a very fun one indeed! In Vino Veritas!