Among the most famous Italian medieval wines we can remember the ones form Northern Italy, Istria, Ribolla from Trieste (from the Latin "rubeolus", meaning "reddish", even if, especially in Udine's area, a yellow variety is diffused, giving a light and fresh white wine), Terrano (of a dark red colour, with a raspberry flavour, a sparkling and rather sharp wine), and Malvasia; wines from Verona, Vernazza from Brescia and Valtellina wines. In Liguria the "Cinque Terre" wine was already known and wines from Bologna, Modena and Romagna in the whole were highly appreciated. In Tuscany they had Trebbiano (whose denomination dates back to the 14th century and denoted a vine producing -as it is still today- white grapes of a yellow-greenish colour, used for the preparation of many wines), Malvasia, Aleatico (original from Tuscany but diffused nowadays also in Latium and Apulia), Sangiovese (a famous variety used for the production of renowned wines such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino), Vernaccia of San Gimignano (from the name "Vernazza", the place from where it came, also cultivated in Sardinia: from this variety they produce both dry wines especially in Tuscany, and strong sweet wines especially in Sardinia) and Montepulciano wines. Particularly appreciated were also Moscato, sweet and pleasant, and Lipari's Malvasia, as far as the Tyrrhenian islands of the Eolian archipelago.

But since the very beginning, wine had also been used for medical purposes. Hippocrates (4th century BC), one of the most eminent Greek physicians of ancient times, prescibed it for healing wounds and as a reconstituent, antipyretic, purgative and diuretic drink. Also Galeno (2nd century AD) very often used medical wines and thanks to the diffusion of his works during Byzantine time, the use of wine as a medicine was able to survive the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Galeno's recommendation to use wine for wounds, for strengthening weak people and as an antipyretic, was widely followed in medieval Europe, especially by monks and Knights Hospitaller. But "Liber de vinis " by Arnaldo da Villanova (13th century) was the very first treatise to strongly fix the use of wine as a recognized therapeutical system. Among the wide list of wine medical uses, Villanova stresses its antiseptic and corroborant qualities, and advises to use it in the preparation of plasters. During all the medieval age, wine was one of the few liquids able to melt and hide the taste of substances physicians of the time considered curative, thanks to its alcoholic content. "Teriaca", kind of medical wines, started being used for many different deseases.

The use of wine for therapeutical purposes, especially in surgical practice, lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Physicians of the Bologna School -who already contested the widely diffused opinion according to which for healing wounds it was necessary suppuration- were convinced that a bandage soaked with wine led to wound cicatrization and healing. Guy de Chauliac, renowned medieval surgeon, used to clean chest wounds with wine-based washing, as long as the liquid came out clean and clear...

As Eubulus sang at his table: "Three cups of wine I prepare for moderate men: the first for health, the second for love and pleasure, the third for sleep. When the third cup is empty, wise guests go home."

And for everybody -lower classes, princes and prelates- the recipe of "vin cotto" was already famous. It was used to strengthen the body and cheer up the soul during the long and dark medieval winters... You just try!

"One litre of strong red wine, 300 gr. of strawberry-tree or acacia honey, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 3 cloves. Boil wine with all the ingredients as long as one-third of its liquid evaporates. Drink hot."