How did the Ancient Cretans adulterate the roman Wine?

An article published in the Conversation Argues that ancient cretans may Have deceived the romans by Exporting “imitations” Of the famous sweet raisin wine, which was highly regarded in the ancient world.

Για αιώνες, τα «κρασιά σταφίδας» – δηλαδή κρασιά που παρασκευάζονταν από σταφύλια τα οποία είχαν αποξηρανθεί πριν από τη ζύμωση – θεωρούνταν πολυτελές αγαθό τόσο στην αρχαία Ελλάδα όσο και στη Ρώμη. Η παραγωγή τους απαιτούσε υπομονή και χρόνο· ο Ρωμαίος γεωπόνος Κολλουμέλλα έγραφε ότι η διαδικασία μπορούσε να διαρκέσει πάνω από ένα μήνα, ενώ ο Πλίνιος ο Πρεσβύτερος περιέγραφε λεπτομερώς μία μέθοδο που περιλάμβανε μερική αποξήρανση των σταφυλιών πάνω στο κλήμα και στη συνέχεια άλλες οκτώ ημέρες πάνω σε σχάρες πριν από τη σύνθλιψη.

​14 Ιουλίου 1993: Οι 6 όροι του Κωνσταντίνου Μητσοτάκη προς την Αλβανική Κυβέρνηση

However, according to new archaeological research by Dr. Conor Trainor, an assistant professor at University College Dublin, Cretan winemakers during the Roman era may have bypassed these time-consuming processes. His decade-long study of Knossos – known for its Minoan finds, but also renowned during the Roman Empire for its excellent sweet wine – reveals evidence of possible fraud.

“My archaeological research at winemaking and amphora-making sites at Knossos suggests that winemakers in Crete may have been misleading their Roman customers with imitation passum (sweet raisin wine),” Dr. Trainor writes in his article. He adds: “We observe a pattern that suggests a departure from the traditional, laborious methods of producing this wine.”

Rome established a colony at Knossos, drastically expanding wine production. The wine-making tradition of Crete is lost in the depths of history – archaeological evidence from Myrtos dates back as far as 2170 BC – and in 67 BC the island was conquered by the Romans after three years of fierce warfare. After the conquest, Knossos became a Roman colony and the wine trade flourished, thanks in part to the island’s privileged geographical location.

The large quantities of amphorae found at roman sites in crete Testify to a huge export volume. As trainor notes, The romans Were eager buyers, taking advantage of the frequent stops of grain trucks from Alexandria to italy In crete – A fact that allowed other goods, such as wine, to be loaded.

But the real motivation was the reputation of Cretan sweet wine, reminiscent of today's Italian appassimento. This wine was considered not only exquisite, but also medicinal; the military physician Pedanius Dioscorides, in his work Materia Medica, wrote that it combats headaches, expels worms and enhances fertility.

The sudden surge in demand likely led producers to faster and easier methods of making wine.

Pliny mentions boiling the must as a shortcut for producing sweet wine, but the mixing basins found at Knossos bear no traces of heating. This leads to another, more interesting version: the use of honey as a sweetener before extraction.

Dr. Trainor's team identified a recurring combination of four objects in Roman ceramic workshops at Knossos: transport amphorae, filling stands, large mixing basins, and ceramic hives.

“These hives, recognizable by their rough inner surface, suggest a direct connection between beekeeping and winemaking,” the researcher emphasizes. Similar findings in other areas of Greece strengthen the hypothesis that wine and honey were mixed before the expedition.

“The presence of beehives near wine production and shipping points is an indication that cannot be ignored,” he explains. “It is likely that honey was not only used as an additive, but also as a substitute for the time-consuming drying of grapes.”

This method would be significantly faster and more economical – but was this final product truly “raisin wine”? And, more importantly, did Roman consumers know that they might be consuming an imitation of their beloved passum?

Based on the vast quantities of Cretan amphorae that have been identified at Roman archaeological sites, Dr. Trainor assumes that authenticity was not the Romans' primary concern.

The sheer volume of finds suggests that what interested the roman public most was the availability and perceived quality of the wine – and less the precision of the production Process. perhaps, then, The romans were – without knowing it – “victims” Of the cunning of the Ancient cretans… or simply benefited from it.