The
most famous wine of ancient
Rome, Falernian was a white wine produced in the northern
Campania region of
Italy. Three different
zones were identified:
Caucinian,
Faustian, and
Falernian. The wine was ageworthy, and was said to be worthy of drinking only after 10 to 20 years of aging. By the time of
maturity, the wine was a deep amber color. It is often described as a strong and hot wine, suggesting a
high alcoholic content. It was customary among ancient peoples to cut down on the alcohol content of wine by
diluting it with water, a practise sometimes
looked down on when it came to good wine like Falernian.
The grape
varietal has long since vanished, but some wine makers persist in making wines in
Campania.
Mastroberardino produces several wines in the Campania region, some of which may be from varietal
descendents of ancient Falernian. Nonetheless, no one knows exactly how Falernian was made or how it tasted.
The wine is celebrated in the
literature of many ancient
Roman authors, including
Petronius,
Catullus, and
Horace. Toward the end of the 1st century AD,
Pliny wrote about
overproduction and a general decline in the
quality of Falernian, a concern echoed by most modern wine lovers over any varietal that sees a surge in
popularity. In a famous ode to wine (#27,
ad pincernam suum, "to his wine bearer"),
Catullus praises "good old" undiluted Falernian:
Come, my boy, bring me the best
of good old Falernian:
we must drink down stronger wine
to drink with this mad lady.
Postumia's our host tonight;
drunker than the grape is,
is she--
and no more water;
water is the death of wine.
Serve the stuff to solemn fools
who enjoy their sorrow,
respectable, no doubt--
but wine!
Here's wine!
The very blood of Bacchus!
Horace Gregory, translation.