Italy: No Veritas in the Vino

"Wine: Fermented juice of grapes." —Webster's International Dictionary "Crush the pulp and stone of dates in a container, mix with hot water, clarify with lead acetate, add sugar to the mixture, then add chloridic acid. Heat to 60 or 70 degrees Centigrade. Let cool immediately and neutralize with potash." —Fake-wine recipe quoted in Italian court

Italy produces more wine than France or Spain, yet has fewer vineyards than either country. The reason for this phenomenon is that a considerable amount of its wine production is as far removed from the fermented juice of the grape as molasses is from pink...

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