Why do you say “frown”? We'll tell you about it

It is a term that originated in ancient Roman taverns. A clever trick that was adopted by the hosts to finish the wine that had started to run out a bit towards the vinegar. Before serving the wine, raw fennel was offered to the customer, which contains aromatic substances that anesthetize the mucous membranes of the tongue. It is such an intense aroma that it eliminates the perception of vinegar.

In practice, the wine might seem passable and you couldn't say that it was faulty. Many times this trick was adopted not only to eliminate the acetic acid but also to avoid problems with the quality of the product. Especially at a time when Frascati wines of dubious shelf life arrived from the Castelli Romani.

In short, this should make us understand that fennel is not worth any wine and above all that you have to be careful about what you eat before tasting a red wine or a white wine because it could alter its flavor.

Fabio De Vecchi