Wine, like beer, is a drink that has accompanied humanity for millennia. Although it is not currently going through its best moment due to the drop in consumption, it remains a status symbol in many circles. This is not only reflected in the prices of the bottles, but also in the care—and sometimes the posture—with which the perfect wine is chosen for each occasion.

However, this phenomenon is not exclusive to our era. Centuries ago, wines from certain regions were already objects of desire, with higher prices than others, not so much because of their intrinsic quality, but because of their association with a higher social level. The prestige of wine, then as now, was built as much around its flavor as the narrative that surrounded it, and the wines of Cilicia and Loop They are a sample.

Designation of origin. A study Titled “Distribution Patterns of Gaza Wine Versus Cilician Wine in the Eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity” explores the distribution and consumption patterns of wines from two key areas in Mediterranean trade: Cicily and Gaza. The protagonists are amphorae found in different archaeological excavations that are linked to the commercial networks of Gaza and Cicily between the 4th and 7th centuries.

And, although the authors acknowledge that there are limitations to the study and difficulties (such as the documentation associated with each of the wines), the conclusions are very interesting.

From bottle and tetrabrik. Here it is very important where the amphorae were discovered, since there are two types: LRA 4, which are those that contained wine from Gaza, and LRA 1, which are those containing Cilician wine. While LRA 4 were mostly found in areas such as the academic centers of Ravenna and Alexandria, LRA 1 amphorae with Cilician wine were found in military and more rural contexts.

This is something that denotes that the wine of Cilicia was more popular, meaning that the common people could afford it, while that of Gaza, found in contexts such as urban, administrative centers or religious places, was more distinguished. And, as in almost any area, this means one thing: it was more expensive.

question of palate. The study addresses the descriptions of both wines. The one from Gaza was known for its excellent quality, being praised at the time by writers who described it as a “light, sweet and pleasant tasting” wine. Furthermore, the reputation also came from Gaza’s growing, harvesting and processing techniques, as well as the quality of the soil in which it was grown.

Cilician wine was described as stronger and less refined. The reason is probably that it was produced from raisins, but the interesting point of the study is that, as with many products today, part of that difference in quality was subjective.

And posture. Many of the amphora fragments containing Gaza wine were found near churches and other important religious sites in places such as Constantinople. As we say, it had a good reputation for production techniques, but something just as important was the association with incipient Christianity. This wine was highly valued among liturgical circles, so the status among religious communities and elites increased and the feeling was created that it was an almost “spiritual prestige” product.

This association caused Christian pilgrims returning from the Holy Land to also contribute to mythologizing this wine, adding symbolic value to it and turning it into a luxury good.

The wine of the town. The wine from Cilicia, for its part, was much more accessible, allowing people from other strata to have access to it and, in turn, devaluing the price and reputation compared to the wine from Gaza. But no, the cheap wine was not necessarily worse, but different. Being made primarily from raisins, it was somewhat more feisty and also had a higher alcohol content.

This higher alcohol content allowed for broader trade, as Cilicia wine arrived in better condition over long distances and was preserved for longer. It’s good? Yes, but since Gaza had a more limited distribution, merchants also played with this to increase the price because it was a much more exclusive good due to everything already mentioned.

In the end, they were two different products, but although the one from Gaza could have some richer notes than the one from Cilicia, being focused on a more exclusive segment allowed the perception of quality to be totally different, which led to significant differences in the price.

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