Understanding the History of M'zigat Hakkos

«... But the most dramatic difference between Roman and modern wine is that the Romans never drank wine on its own; they always mixed it with other ingredients. Indeed, the practice of drinking wine straight was regarded as barbaric. Most often, wine was simply diluted. The amount of water added depended on the circumstances (it was up to the host to decide) and the temperature, *but the proportions were typically one part wine to three parts water.* Diluting wine served two purposes:
• it made it into a thirst-quenching drink that could be consumed in large quantities, and
• the presence of alcohol also made the water safe to drink, an important consideration in the growing cities of the Roman Empire, as it still was in 18th-century Europe.»

The history of drinking: Uncorking the past | The Economist

http://www.economist.com/node/883706

Shalom and Best Reagrds,
RRW