Did you know that 16th-century “Rhenish” wine was often flavored with honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg to make it drinkable?
Or that Dutch merchants staged a “peaceful invasion” of French coastal vineyards to dominate the European spirits market?
In this video, we dive into the records of the Sound Toll Registers, a massive historical database that reveals the movement of wine through the narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden
We uncover the four major periods of this trade, from the early dominance of Rhenish wines to the explosive growth of French wine exports in the 1620s
In this episode, you’ll discover:
– The “Dutch Hack”: How the United Provinces controlled up to 60% of the trade and used their settlements in France to ship wine directly to the Baltic
– The Smuggler’s Trick: How captains of salt ships “forgot” to declare pipes of wine to avoid heavy taxes
– Exotic “Southern” Flavors: The rise and fall of Mediterranean wines like Malmsey, Muscat, and the mysterious “Bastard” wine
– A Reality Check: Why, despite all the records, the Baltic wine trade was actually just a “small food-related coastal trade” compared to the massive markets in the Low Countries
Whether you’re a history buff, a wine lover, or interested in the roots of global trade, this deep dive into the “pot-au-feu of the Sound” is for you!
Source: Jean Maurice Bizière, “The Baltic wine trade 1563–1657,” Scandinavian Economic History Review, Vol. 20, No. 2 (1972), pp. 121-132.