THE WINE RENAISSANCE (1453 – 1565)

Thanks to progress, the ongoing cultural renaissance and, above all, a scientific approach that is beginning to prevail, wine experiences a renaissance in attitudes to it. Both wine and grape vines cross the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Americas, initially  Mexico, Peru and Chile. As wine travels, it becomes a globalised product, leading to the need to avoid fraud and misappropriation of names and brands. Consequently,  the first Protected Designation of Origin is created in Alicante.

In this chapter we learn about the work of Alonso de Herrera, a prominent Spanish agricultural writer. We see the appearance of varieties that we still recognize today, such as Riesling, Malvasia, Aragonés, Torrontés, among others. Meanwhile, oenology is becoming more scientific than ever, and techniques such as sulphite use and clarification are being improved and technified. Fortified wines, such as Sack and the Tokaji sweet wines, become emblematic of the era. The name of Leonardo da Vinci enters our story and we discover his influence as a winemaker and his contribution to the evolution of restaurants. Murano becomes the world’s epicentre of glass production. We also study the work of historian Allen Grieco, who writes about gastronomy during this period. He tells us about how food pairings began to be developed and explores the flavours of Renaissance wines.