hist-brewing: Historical Wine Sweetening

[PBLoomis at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/26/00 1:48:31 PM Central Daylight Time, 
NeophyteSG at aol.com writes:

>  I'm more inclined to believe 
>  that the dividing line coincides with the advent and availability of "
> refined 
>  sugar."  Anyone know when that was? 
    I understand sugar cane was domesticated by the Persians in the 11th 
century, just in time to blow the minds of the First Crusade.  However, that
was raw sugar, boiled down and shipped beehive shaped "loaves" until well
into the 18th century.  I don't know when or who invented the "refining" 
process, which I understand involves dissolving it and filtering it through 
activated charcoal 
to remove all the nutritional value and leave only empty calories.

> Again, would water have been added 
> or would they have just used the pulp and pressed juice?  Both?  I know 
it's 
> grapes, but what did the Greeks do?
>
    The Greeks produced and shipped their wine full strength, then watered it
down to half-strength for drinking.  They considered the Celts barbarian 
because 
the Celts drank Greek wine full strength.  The Celt considered the Greeks 
effete
because they watered theirs!  de gustibus non disputandum est.
    Scotti


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