666. Wine and the Birth of Civilisation

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 26.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2026

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does The Odyssey teach us about the history of wine in the ancient world? How did Julius Caesar use wine to conquer the world? And, why was The Judgement of Paris - when America took on France - the most controversial incident in the history of wine? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the long history of wine; from ancient Jordan, to Bronze Age Greece, to the Vikings, and beyond… Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠ _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. _______ Pre-order your copy of A History of the World in 51 Heroes and Villains now: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/history-of-the-world-in-51-heroes-and-villains-9781037211546/ _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Lloyds, which has been backing British ambition for over 250 years.
0:08.9	Now, when you think about it, every dynasty in history has boiled down to two important elements,
0:17.4	aspiration and action. And a classic example of this from British history, the rise of the House
0:24.9	of Wessex, the family of Alfred the Great and his heirs, who between them established the
0:31.7	United Kingdom of England. Yeah, it's a great story, isn't it, Tom? Great lesson in leadership,
0:36.5	I think, for anybody.
0:44.4	So Alfred and his heirs, they marry idealism and pragmatism. They're brilliant at alliances.
0:48.3	They're brilliant at managing power. They're brilliance, of course, at managing their money,
0:52.5	which is a key part of political leadership. And of course, we are all reaping the rewards of their wisdom and foresight. When it's time to make
0:55.5	your next move, you can bank on Lloyds to be ready when you are. Because from new businesses to new
1:02.8	homes and new life chapters, backed by generations of hope and ambition, you can see, Tom, why 14 million people trust Lloyds to help make their
1:14.5	dreams a reality. Based on Lloyd's internal customer data from March 26.
1:21.3	Music No one can really doubt that some kinds of wine are simply better than others.
1:42.1	Nor does it come as news to anyone, that when wines are made from
1:45.1	the same vat, one cask will often turn out to be superior to the other, either because of the
1:50.2	material that the cask has been made from, or due to some other circumstance. Nevertheless,
1:56.7	even though there is a general consensus as to the best wines, one that's been arrived at
2:01.7	after many years, there can be no accounting for personal taste. A famous story is told
2:08.6	which illustrates this. One of the freedmen in the household of the deified Augustus, a man
2:13.9	celebrated for his connoisseurship and his palate, accompanied Augustus on a visit to a house.
2:21.0	Brought a local wine by the master of the house, he tasted it and then delivered this verdict.
2:27.8	This is not a wine that I have ever tasted before. I do not rate it. It is effectively vinegar.
	...

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