Wine and Literature
Since ancient times wine has been part of human culture. The earliest archaelogical proof of wine made from grapes is in Georgia dating back to around 6000 BCE. That history includes a cultural dimension via art and literature. Wine is featured in the art from palaces to pyramids but as importantly, in literature and poetry. In this article wine writer and wine educator, Caro Feely, look into some of wine’s literary connections.
Wine in Ancient Greek Literature
Many wine quotations are attributed to Homer, a poet who lived in the 9th century BCE, most famous for the Iliad and the Odyssey, epic poems that form the foundation of ancient Greek literature.
He used wine in numerous descriptions, for example ‘the wine-dark sea’ was used five times in the Iliad and twelve times in the Odyssey. This description is 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?
My guess is that the answer is simple – he was describing the colour of a dark red sunset reflected on sea.
Wine in Roman Empire Literature
During the reign of the Roman Empire, Ausonius, a Gallo-Roman based in Bordeaux, wrote poetry about wine, in addition to creating Ausone, a famous vineyard in St-Emilion (to see it and other famous chateaux and hear their history and secrets join us on a multi day tour or vineyard walking tour or the St Emilion Grand Cru Day Tour). In one poem, written in the 4th century CE, he admits to being tipsy: ‘It is outrageous that a strictly abstemious reader should sit in judgement on a poet a little drunk.’
I declare as I write this I am not drunk but I am prone to sip a glass of fine wine of an evening. 😉 Moderation rather than abstention is my motto.
Wine in Ancient Chinese Poetry
A Chinese poet of the 8th century CE, 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 with a promise to reunite on the far side of the Milky Way. The poem is a delight (and carries a deft message about moderation).
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 in Othello with the words, ‘Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.’
Wine in 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.
Wine in Modern Literature
In the 20th century American writer Ernest Hemingway claimed that wine offered more enjoyment than any other sensory product that could be purchased, in his work ‘Death in the Afternoon’. In his memoir, ‘A Moveable Feast’, he reflected that during his time in Europe (mostly in France), drinking wine considered as normal and necessary as eating.
A friend of Hemingway, Irish writer James Joyce, also spoke of wine in his masterpiece ‘Ulysses’ (follow this link to see Caro’s analysis of the wine references in Ulysses). His main character, Leopold Bloom, experiences a passionate memory after a taste of Burgundy wine (to learn about Burgundy and the other wine regions book a French Wine Adventures Wine Course). It is so erotic that it was one of the reasons the book was banned in the US from 1921 to 1933.
Conclusion
Pablo Neruda’s ‘Ode to Wine’ is a great point to end this brief excursion into wine literature. In it he calls wine a ‘starry child of earth’, and incites joy, passion and gratitude to nature and mankind, who together create wine. It is this wonderous combination that we celebrate on French Wine Adventures Wine Tours and Courses. We look forward to sharing our passion with you.
Caro Feely, founder and guide at French Wine Adventures is a published author of 6 books, five of which are about wine. For a wine tour with a literary touch get in touch with us. Find out more about Caro Feely’s acclaimed Vineyard Series – see the books, where to buy them and ISBNs.
French Wine Adventures is specialised in French Wine, Wine Education, Wine Tours in Bordeaux, Organic Wine and Sustainable Tourism.
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