44 | living wine
One of SaintÉmilion’s ancient vineyards, founded in Gallo-Roman times
Roman mosaic depiction of Homer’s Odyssée
Wine & Literature
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Wine expert Caro Feely looks at some of wine’s literary connections
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ince ancient times wine has been part of human culture. The earliest archaeological proof of wine made from grapes is in Georgia and dates back to around 6,000 BC. Its history includes a cultural dimension via art and literature with wine featured in art from palaces to pyramids, but just as importantly, in poetry.
Ancient Greek Literature Many wine quotations are attributed to Homer, who lived in the 9th century BC and is most celebrated for The Iliad and The Odyssey, epic poems which form the foundation of ancient Greek literature. He used wine in numerous descriptions; for example ‘the wine-dark sea’ appears five times in The Iliad and twelve times in The Odyssey. Today it’s the subject of debate among academics, who ask questions like: was the sea red with algae – or was their wine blue from mixing it with alkaline water? Perhaps the answer is as simple as the colour of a dark red sunset reflected on the sea.
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Roman Empire Literature During the Roman Occupation, Ausonius, a Gallo-Roman based in Bordeaux, wrote poetry about wine, in addition to creating Ausone, a famous vineyard in Saint-Émilion. In one poem written in the 4th century he admits to being tipsy: ‘It is outrageous that a strictly abstemious reader should sit in judgment on a poet a little drunk. I declare as I write this that I am not drunk but am prone to sip a fine glass of wine of an evening. Moderation rather than abstention is my motto.’ Ancient Chinese Poetry An 8th century Chinese poet who is commonly referred to as ‘Li Bai’ or ‘Li Po’ wrote glorious wine poems. His ‘Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon’ is worth looking up. The language in the best translations is ethereal, like an impressionist painting. Alone, he pours a glass of wine, then makes a threesome with the moon and his own shadow. They sing and dance, then scatter to reunite in the future with the stars on the far side of the Milky Way. The poem is pure delight.
Wine According to Shakespeare William Shakespeare devoted many words to wine. He recreated the age-old saying ‘in vino veritas’ in these words: ‘The wine-cup is the little silver well, where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell’. One of his most-cited quotes about alcohol – rather than wine specifically – is worth remembering: ‘[Drink]: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance’. (Macbeth Act II Scene III). Yes, moderation is wise, as Iago reminds Cassius, who is lamenting his excessive drinking (Othello) with the words: ‘Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used’. Golden Age Literature Robert Louis Stevenson, a poet of the 19th century, came up with the famous quote: ‘Wine is bottled poetry’. Another great writer, Leo Tolstoy, used wine as a metaphor. In Anna Karenina, Anna was ‘drunk with the wine of the rapture she inspired’ in her soon-to-be-lover, the Count. Modern Literature In the 20th century American writer Russian intervention