Famous antique wine (Vinum raeticum), which according to a contemporary statement "was found on the tables of the rich". The wine came from the present province of Verona in Veneto. It is said that it was also a favourite wine of Emperor Augustus (63 B.C. - 14 A.D.). It was made from a grape variety known as Uva raetica. According to an unverifiable hypothesis, the Rèze variety from Valais is said to be a descendant of Uva raetica. According to Pliny the Elder (23-79), this vine was allegedly brought to this area by the Phocian tribe from Marseille, who came from central Greece. The name derives either from the Roman province of Raetia and/or from the municipality of Raetia near Verona in Veneto. The province of Raetia covered a large area with parts in northern Italy, Tyrol-Austria, Switzerland and southern Germany.
A Vinum raeticum was mentioned by several well-known Roman authors, although it was probably not always the same wine. At that time, wines were named according to their origin, regardless of the grape variety. So it could also have been different wines or grape varieties, which were often cultivated in mixed sets at that time. This is also supported by the fact that the sources speak of white, red and Recioto-sweet Raeticum from dried grapes. The first author to report on a wine of this name was Cato the Elder (234-149 B.C.), who ranked the Raeticum in terms of quality right after the Falernian. Others were Vergil (70-19 BC), Strabo (63 BC-28 AD) and Tacitus (55-120 AD).