Last May, the remains of a beautiful Roman mosaic floor were found under a northern Italian vineyard. This caused great excitement and was a fresh reminder of ancient Romans’ huge influence on our wine culture.

Roman soldiers who marched north to conquer Gaul, as France was called then, and other parts of Europe carried great amphorae of wine along with their swords and shields. When the battles were won, and those soldiers were paid off in land, they swapped those swords for ploughshares and planted vines.