Eleanor of Aquitaine and her influence on drinking wine, known as the Queen who “taught the English to drink”.
When Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England she would bring imports of French wine with her, this drastically increased trade and consumption of wine.
While wine was available in England before Eleanor, Eleanor brought the fine wine of Aquitaine.
At this time wine was consumed with all meals and was a regular part of daily life as water wasn’t clean to drink and could cause various sicknesses.
Eleanor’s love for fine wine transformed the Royal Court making fine wine a staple. Eleanor was bold and spirited, extremely intelligent and influential; she was powerful and respected and proved to be a forced to be reckoned with.
Eleanor of Aquitaine has become an icon for pushing the boundaries for women during the Middle Ages.