Grapevine Cultivars and New Wines: From Growers’ Strategies to Conquering the Market

This chapter discusses some of the mechanisms that were at play in the refinement of cultivation and production techniques. It examines two issues. First, drawing on recent archaeological and palaeobotanical evidence, I propose a possible model that was available to small and medium-sized colonial farmers who wanted to establish vineyards ex novo in provincial settings, such as Gaul and Hispania. These growers pursued commercial viticulture, but unlike big landlords, their more limited resources and networks meant that even procuring vine cuttings to establish a vineyard abroad could be challenging. Second, I look at the emergence of new wines in the Early Imperial period in Italy, arguing that the emperor and the wine production of Imperial estates played a crucial role in establishing new wines on the market.