Did you know that the 3-course meal and the greatest wines in the world derive directly from the Roman culture of ancient times? In ancient Rome, an appetizer consisting of vegetables was consumed first with light meat dishes, then the main meal, which consisted of bread, vegetables and meats, such as rabbit, fish and swans and for dessert an ice cream, which only the rich could afford . Most Romans liked spicy food with lots of pepper and often ate with their fingers and used bread as a napkin. Pork was the most consumed and popular meat and, unlike today, chicken was more expensive than duck. For ordinary Romans, dessert included a variety of fruit, including grapes and raisins. These two were also the basis of Roman wines. The fermentation was not controlled and the alcohol content was high, so the wine was normally mixed with water before serving. The Romans did not invent winemaking but they greatly improved viticulture techniques and practices, including consideration of climate and landscape when choosing which grape variety to plant, the advantages of different trellises, vine training systems, and pruning to improve yield and quality of the wine. Winemaking techniques such as aging on the yeasts after fermentation and the importance of cleanliness throughout the winemaking process to avoid contamination, impurities and deterioration have also been a contribution of