It was in Roman times that wooden casks
— an innovation of northern Europe —
arrived along the Mediterranean as an
alternative to clay amphoras. During
subsequent centuries, they became the
standard wine vessel, and amphoras
disappeared. Casks had the advantage of being
lighter and less fragile, but the disadvantage
of not being airtight. This meant that wines
could only be stored in them for a handful of
years before they became overoxidized and
unpleasant to drink. Excellent aged wines
therefore disappeared along with the amphora,
and only reappeared after more than a
thousand years with the invention of the cork-
stoppered bottle (p. 724).
The Spread of Winemaking in Europe; the
Rise of France After the fall of Rome around
the 5th century CE, Christian monasteries
advanced the arts of viticulture and
winemaking in Europe. Local rulers endowed