Sweet Wines: The Essence of European Civilization

This chapter covers the broad subject of sweet wines throughout European civilization. A historical path guides us from their origins to the present date. Vineyards and varieties in southern Italy remained the same throughout the whole of the Middle Ages until the arrival of Phylloxera. Several native varieties introduced by the Greeks, such as Murgentino, Eugenia and Aminee spread throughout Campania, Latium and Etruria. This chapter discusses climate changes, the development of viticulture and the production of sweet wines. Peculiar climatic conditions, besides the cultivation of Italian varieties, allowed the preservation of ancient Roman techniques for the production of sweet wines also in France and Switzerland. In order to protect the fragile identity of sweet wines made from dried grapes, which are the true heritage of the very first viticulture, it is important to enhance the oldest grape varieties and to go back to the peculiarities of the enological tradition.