Noah's Wine, Sweetened with Dates and Diluted with Water
A red wine cut with water, warmed with a hint of date syrup and scented with mild spices, served warm or chilled. The quintessential convivial drink of the ancient world, both tangy from the wine and sweetened by the honey of the palms. (Non-alcoholic version possible with grape juice.)
A red wine cut with water, warmed with a hint of date syrup and scented with mild spices, served warm or chilled. The quintessential convivial drink of the ancient world, both tangy from the wine and sweetened by the honey of the palms. (Non-alcoholic version possible with grape juice.)
Ah, you touch on my pride and my fault. When the land was ready again, I planted the vine, and drew from it a wine that none before me had tasted—I drank too much of it, I admit, and I was ashamed. Learn from my error: one never drinks wine pure like a fool, one cuts it with spring water and a little date honey, and stops before the head spins. Drink with measure, and may this cup gladden your heart without troubling it.
- •Red wine — one measure (fermented base)
- •Spring water — one to two measures (dilution)
- •Date syrup — a dash (signature sweetness)
- •Mild spices (cinnamon, coriander) — a pinch (aroma)
Noah's Wine, Sweetened with Dates and Diluted with Water
A red wine cut with water, warmed with a hint of date syrup and scented with mild spices, served warm or chilled. The quintessential convivial drink of the ancient world, both tangy from the wine and sweetened by the honey of the palms. (Non-alcoholic version possible with grape juice.)
Why this dish? Genesis makes Noah the first vintner: 'Noah began to cultivate the ground and planted a vineyard' (Genesis 9:20). No drink is more intimately linked to him. Here it is served in the ancient manner—cut with water and sweetened with date syrup—since pure wine was considered too harsh.
Ah, you touch on my pride and my fault. When the land was ready again, I planted the vine, and drew from it a wine that none before me had tasted—I drank too much of it, I admit, and I was ashamed. Learn from my error: one never drinks wine pure like a fool, one cuts it with spring water and a little date honey, and stops before the head spins. Drink with measure, and may this cup gladden your heart without troubling it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Red wine — one measure (fermented base)
- Spring water — one to two measures (dilution)
- Date syrup — a dash (signature sweetness)
- Mild spices (cinnamon, coriander) — a pinch (aroma)
Ingredients
- Light red wine (or grape juice for non-alcoholic) — 250 ml (base)
- Water — 250–400 ml (dilution)
- Date syrup — 1–2 tbsp (signature sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick + coriander seeds — 1 + ½ tsp (aroma)
Method
- Gently heat (without boiling) the wine or grape juice with the spices for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in the date syrup until dissolved.
- Dilute with water to taste (one to two times the volume of wine).
- Strain out the spices and serve warm in winter, or allow to cool and serve chilled in summer.
How it was made : Throughout the ancient Near East and later Greco-Roman world, drinking wine neat was considered crude, even dangerous: it was systematically cut with water and sweetened with honey or fruit syrup. Wine was at once beverage, medicine, and offering, and Noah is its inaugural figure in the biblical tradition.
The contemporary twist : Served in clay cups, garnished with a grape and a zest, under the name 'Rainbow Cup' — a non-alcoholic warm punch ideal for family tables.
Sources : Genesis 9:20-21 · Jean Bottéro, La plus vieille cuisine du monde (2002)
Noah · Charactorium
