"LET US LOVE & DRINK & SING TO BACCHUS" ~ Pierre Motin (16th century French poet)
With its To Your Health, Caesar! Wine and the Gauls exhibition, Pointe-à-Callière (http://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/exhibitions/wine-in-roman-gaul)
celebrates one of the oldest and most splendid of all human accomplishments: wine!
Close to 200 items from some twenty lenders, including some leading Canadian, North American and French institutions — one of them the Louvre Museum — and private collections, will guided us along the fascinating “wine road” from its earliest days, with special attention to the birth of wine making in Gaul (modern-day France).
This major exhibition was produced with participation of the museums of Roman Gaul in Lyon-Fourvière and Saint-Romain-en-Gal-Vienne, and marks the 20th anniversary of the twinning arrangement between the museums of Roman Gaul and Pointe-à-Callière.
"Let's drink! Why we are waiting for the lamps?
Only an inch of daylight's left.
Lift down the large cups my friend, the painted ones
For wine was given to men by the son of Semele (Dionysus/Bacchus)
To help them forget their troubles
Mix one part of wine with two of water
Pour it up to the brim
And let one cup push the other along"
~ song by Alcalcus - born on Lesbos in 640 BC
Across the Atlantic.....
1535: Jacques Cartier baptized Ile d'Orleans 'Bacchus' island when he saw the wild grapes there.
17th century: Priests and colonists dreamed of making wine in New France. The Recollets tried their luck using wooden mortar to crush the grapes, a chapel cloth to press them and a bucket to catch the juice. Their efforts were in vain. The Jesuits also tried but gave up around 1660. Instead white and red wine and champagne were all imported from France.
1811: In Ontario, a German immigrant managed to make the first Canadian wine.
“It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, one's present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason.” ~ Latin proverb
