One of the essential elements of the Passover seder is the four cups of wine, traditionally drunk, Greco-Roman style, while reclining. Wine was an essential beverage in the ancient Mediterranean world, and one discussed extensively in the Talmud, which in at least one instance describes Italian wine as the very best kind. But it has long been thought that ancient wine wasn’t very good, at least not by modern standards. Dimitri Van Limbergen, together with Paulina Komar, recently completed a scientific study that challenges that assumption:

It is alleged that Roman winemakers had to mask their products’ flaws by adding spices, herbs, and other ingredients to the freshly pressed grape juice, which is known as must. However, our research has shown this may not have been the case: a recent study of earthenware vessels used in wine fermentation—both ancient and contemporary—has challenged traditional views on the taste and quality of Roman wine, some of which may even have rivalled the fine wines of today.

Many of the longstanding misconceptions surrounding Roman wine come from a lack of insight into one of the most characteristic features of Roman winemaking: fermentation in clay jars or dolia. Huge wine cellars filled with hundreds of these vessels have been found all over the Roman world, but until we began our study no one had looked closely at their role in ancient wine production.

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.