How Pizza Saved Wine

History nobody else will tell you

Modern pizza and wine emerged in the form we know them today at the same time in Europe around the 1880s (give or take). Inexplicably, these two historic occurrences are rarely linked. Actually, as far as I know they are never linked. I’m the first one to notice.

In fairness, I suppose I should point out that my theory is not completely accepted in scholarly circles yet, but resistance to intellectual change of this magnitude is to be expected. I dare say that without the popularization of pizza in the late nineteenth century, wine would have disappeared entirely from the surface of the earth.

Oh sure, wine had been around for 8,000 years or so, but it’s clear that it was on the way out the old Victorian door until pizza came along and saved it. The wine industry has clearly been driven by pizza since Sherlock Holmes roomed with Watson at 221B Baker Street in London.

"Wine can be considered with good reason as the most healthful and the most hygienic of all beverages."
— Louis Pasteur

The idea of pizza began to emerge from the dark unconscious waters of the human mind around 30,000 B.C.

Studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science recently demonstrated that the old caveman bring-home-the-caribou hunter-gatherer societies involved a lot more gathering than hunting. The women did most of the work and the men went out into the woods and threw rocks at each other and the occasional passing rabbit. Some things never change.

Starch grains were found on palm-size grinding stones from Paleolithic Caves in Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic. Apparently prehistoric gourmets had figured out how to grind roots into flour and bake it on hot rocks—is this starting to remind you of anything? The result is a really crispy flatbread. Just the sort of thing you need to start inventing pizza.

But bread alone does not a pizza make. Melted cheese and pepperoni were not readily available in downtown Czechoslovakia back then and people thought tomatoes were poisonous. These were clearly not conditions suitable for major pizza development. Human culture had to wait another 29,000 years before the ingredients caught up to that ancient dream—and figured out what to put on the pita bread.

Ancient Greek Invention of Pizza

And, the guys who figured it out weren’t even Italian. They were Greek, back around 400 B.C. or so. That would be pretty much smack dab in the middle of Ancient Greece’s golden age. So, as far I can see, the same Greeks that gave us law, democracy and Souvlaki, gave us pizza.

I figure Socrates was chatting up Plato and inventing Western civilization while munching on a couple of slices and washing it down with those fine Greek red resin wines that would stop a bull elephant in mid stride.

Socrates: (munching on a messy slice of pepperoni and mushroom) “So, Plato, good buddy, what constitutes a virtuous life?”

Plato: (Licking tomato sauce off his fingers) “Damned if I know, but it better have pizza.”

Socrates: “Oh, Plato, you are so literal. Have you no imagination?”

Plato: “I don’t need imagination, I need pizza.”

Socrates: “Great Zeus, help me. I am the only man in Athens that knows that I know nothing.”

Plato: “I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m pretty sure that every man in Athens knows that you know nothing.”

I suspect the original pizza recipe involved goat cheese, lemon and oregano because everything Greek involves goat cheese, lemon, and oregano, but I have no actual proof of that. I do know that the ancient Greeks put olive oil and garlic on their flatbread along with other toppings. Sounds like pizza to me. It doesn’t really matter, because today everyone thinks pizza is from Italy anyway.

The Birth of Modern Day Pizza

But, in the end, the explosion of modern pizza and wine was due to people like the great King Ferdinand I of Naples in Italy (1751-1825). Naples, Italy, as I’m sure you remember from high school history class, was originally settled by the Greeks. King Ferdinand I was also Ferdinand IV and Ferdinand III. Apparently, the poor fellow had an identity crises.

The Queen had inexplicably banned pizza (which was a street food for the poor) so Ferdy had to sneak out of the palace in disguise to get his pizza—all that’s true except the part where he goes out for pizza. History doesn’t know what he did when he went out, but I’m sure it was for the pizza.

I just can’t prove it yet. King Ferdy was risking the destruction of his sacred vows of marriage which didn’t include sneaking out at night, getting plowed and scarfing down a couple of slices.

Since he had to go back to the Queen every evening sooner or later (like sunrise) he needed a pop or two to get him through the night. Completely understandable I’d say.

“According to documents discovered by historian Antonio Mattozzi in State Archive of Naples, in 1807 already 54 pizzerias existed, with their owners and addresses. In the second half of the nineteenth century they increased to 120.

In Naples, two others figures connected to the trade existed — the pizza hawker (pizzaiuolo ambulante), who sold pizza, but did not make it, and the seller of pizza "a oggi a otto", who made pizzas, but sold them in return for a payment for seven days.”—English Wikipedia, “History of Pizza”

Stodgy historians who lack my soaring imaginative insight have opined that good King Ferdinand sneaked out of the castle in a poor person’s costume. Well, at least it should have been easy to find one. There was no shortage of poor people in Italy at the time.

On such thin threads does our civilization exist. The Queen banned pizza, thereby threatening our entire civilization. She was clearly in charge. Not completely though, because her King kept getting away for a slice or two, saving civilization in the process.

And, of course, with every slice he had to have a glass or two of a nice local Chianti or maybe a big mug of Trebbiano. As you well know, Suave is white and too light to pair with pepperoni.

Thanks to the marital courage evinced by the aforementioned King Ferdinand, dressed in his poor people costume, pizza spread everywhere—all over the world. And, with it, red wine. At least that’s the way I see it.

Wine went everywhere pizza went because you’re always going to need something to wash down the flatbread baked from a 30,000-year-old recipe. Fortunately for us, tomatoes turned out to be not nearly as poisonous as first reported.

And that is how pizza and a little known king from Italy saved wine from disappearing from the face of the earth forever.

Can I get an amen?

Pizza Recipes

Wine pairings with pizza can be any red wine but are often traditional Italian or Greek red wines. From Italy wines like Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Valpolicella or the country Chiantis. From Greece: Agiorgitiko from Nemea, or Xinomavro.

In the United States: California Nebbiolo, Barbera or Zinfandel.

There are lots and lots of others from all over the world but this will get you started.

Recipe for Margherita Pizza from scratch

from famous Greek Chef Akis Petrezikis (see video here)

Supposedly the Margherita style was first created by Raffeale Esposito in Naples, Italy on June 11,1889 to honor the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy.

Click here for instant access to Recipe

And, learn how to make Home Made Pizza Greek Style (from Akis Petrezikis)

This is a different recipe than the Margherita Style from Naples. This style is made with more traditional Athenian (Greek) toppings. Akis is an entertainer, as well as a chef.