When we gave a Hedonistic value to wines

Once upon a time, many years ago, wines were transported on splendid carts pulled by horses, that went and did the rounds to deliver to restaurants and Osterie from the Castelli to Rome.

This un-interrupted coming and going happened along the ancient consular roads; Appia, Tuscolana, Anagnina, Casilina or Prenestina, along which agents awaited to take payment for duties leaving a receipt to show that tax had been duly paid.

The Wine merchants soon discovered that it was the wine that travelled along the Tuscolana, the normal route from Frascati, that got the best reception from restauranteurs and inn keepers. Thus wines coming through the Tuscolana tax gate had the reputation for being the best quality wine! Wine merchants of other wines from other areas in the Castelli soon cottoned on, so, even if it meant getting their carts to go a long way round down into Rome, it was worth their while to make it look as though the wine had come from Frascati!! A hedonistic value had been invented, a plus: I Drink Frascati Therefore I Am…

This is one of the reasons that the first ever Consortium of Guarantee was born…nearly a hundred years ago.

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