244 
plint's natural history. 
[Book XIY. 
Capua the Cauline,^ wine, and the wine of Trebula"* grown in 
the territory so called, though but of a common sort : Campania 
boasts of all these, as well as of her Trifoline^ wines. As to 
the wines of Pompeii,^ they have arrived at their full perfection 
in ten years, after which they gain nothing by age : they are 
found also to be productive of headache, which often lasts 
so long as the sixth hour*^ of the next day. 
These illustrations, if I am not greatly mistaken, will go far 
to prove that it is the land and the soil that is of primary 
importance, and not the grape, and that it is quite superfluous 
to attempt to enumerate all the varieties of every kind, seeing 
that the same vine, transplanted to several places, is productive 
of features and characteristics of quite opposite natures. The 
vineyards of Laletanum^ in Spain^ are remarkable for the 
abundance of wine they produce, while those of Tarraco^^ and 
of Lauron^^ are esteemed for the choice qualities of their 
wines : those, too, of the Balearic Isles^^ are often put in com- 
parison with the very choicest growths of Italy. 
I am by no means unaware that most of my readers will be 
of opinion that I have omitted a vast number of wines, seeing 
that every one has his own peculiar choice ; so much so, that 
wherever we go, we hear the same story told, to the effect 
that one of the freedmen of the late Emperor Augustus, who 
•was remarkable for his judgment and his refined taste in wines, 
while employed in tasting for his master's table, made this 
observation to the master of the house where the emperor 
was staying, in reference to some wine the growth of that 
particular country: The taste of this wine," said he, *'is 
3 Galen says that it was very similar to the Falernian. 
* See B. iii. c. 9. 
5 The Trifoline territory was in the vicinity of Cumae. It is possible 
that the wine may have had its name from taking three years to come to 
maturity; or possibly it was owing to" some peculiarity in the vine. 
6 They have been already mentioned in c. 4. See B. iii. c. 9. 
Twelve o'clock in the day. 
s See B. iii. c. 4, 
9 In Catalonia, which still produces abundance of wine, but in general 
of inferior repute. 
The wines of Tarragona are still considered good. 
II A place in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, destroyed by Ser- 
torius. 
'2 They still enjoy a high repute. The fame of their Malvoisie has 
extended all over the world. 
