Dominic Sandbrook

It's identified with Roman culture and therefore it's prestigious.

But of course, we've talked about the Roman continuity though, Tom.

So areas that produced wine under the Romans or were celebrated for their wine are still celebrated today.

But there are obvious exceptions to that.

And that's partly because much of what was once the Eastern Roman Empire has been taken over by the armies of Islam.

And obviously wine has a very different place in Islamic culture than it does in Christian.

Quirky.

Slippers, what happens to like Billy Bunter?

That seems like a very peculiar punishment.

Dorm feasts.

Yeah, having feasts and stealing jam and stuff.

Wine drinking does persist though, no?

Yeah.

Partly because there are moments in the Quran where wine is described in a more positive way.

So bad news for lightweights, but good news for the rest of us.

If you know, you know.

So we did an episode about the golden age of Baghdad, didn't we?

And Baghdad at its peak, its kind of medieval peak, there are loads of taverns serving wine.

But interestingly, they're run not by Muslims, but by Christians.

So the wine trade is monopolized by Christians, right?