As early as 6,000 years ago, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia used cylinders (seal rolls) made of stone, measuring two to eight cm long and two cm thick, for labeling wine vessels. The inscriptions or images contained on them could be rolled onto soft clay. Primarily, this provided information about the origin of the wine contained. In Greece and Rome, small signs with information were hung on the amphora or information was directly inscribed into the amphorae. Such tags were still used in the Middle Ages for wine vessels. By "hanging" them, fraudulent intentions were easily possible. Important information about the wine, such as the vintage or a producer's mark, was also applied using cork branding on the cork.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena