Wines are often named after the place where they originate. As a result, many terms that we use for wines would be anachronistic in Thedas… so I dreamed up some wines that you can use in your writing and worldbuilding! In a couple places, I also came up with in-world explanations for where these wines could have derived their names.
In parentheses, I included the Real World wine the Thedas head canon was inspired by, when applicable.
These are head canons I have for wines that are made from grapes that grow in humid continental climates where the first frost brings out the sugars in the grapes before they are harvested. While the climate of continental Ferelden would be the right temperature, any wines made there are kept locally and are not part of the greater Orlesian wine trade, which is dominated by wineries from the Frostbacks to the Minanter.
Cabernet Orles (Cabernet Franc) - The primary wine in Orlais made from black grapes. There are many varieties, named after local wineries.
Merlot - The name for this wine is derived from the Orlesian word merle, or blackbird. It is another common variety throughout the vineyards of Orlais, a dark-blue colored grape variety.
Dalish Wine (Gewürztraminer) - This is an aromatic wine grape and is often called “Spiced Dalish” for its bouquet. These grapes are grown exclusively on the western slopes of the Frostback Mountains. The name is a bit of a misnomer, having nothing to do with actual Dalish clans, instead coming from the region of the Dales where the wineries are located. The human nobles who run the collection of wineries have tried to rebrand their wines, but despite many efforts to get another name to circulate, the term “Dalish Wine” still persists.
Cœurling (Riesling) - A white grape variety that originates in the Orlesian heartlands. It typically has notes of apple and tree fruit. Varieties that are grown along the Minanter tend to develop more citrus and peach notes.
Veltlin Verde (Grüner Veltliner) - Hailing from the Green Dales in the northern Minanter river basin, this sweet and citrus wine is named after the Antivan village Veltlin (not a canon location) where it was first fermented centuries ago.
Chenin Blanc - A white wine grape variety from the Chenin river valley in Central Orlais, on the coast of the Waking Sea. It is highly acidic and is used in the production of sparkling and dessert wines.
Armitage Blanc - A recent wine that was created by Jean Louis Armitage, who hails from Verchiel. He was trying to craft a new grape for the production of brandy and ended up with this winter-hardy variety instead. It is very popular for its high sugar levels and hardiness and has a fruity taste, a trendy wine du jour.
Cloudwater - In the wetlands of the Minanter River Delta, rice grows as a staple. The Dalish in the vicinity, including Clan Lavellan, use the rice to ferment this liquor that appears cloudy in color due to the unfermented rice solids that remain suspended in the alcohol. The Dalish use this cloudwater as a key ingredient in many tonics and syrup, and you can often find bottles of it for trade that have been infused with seasonal fruits such as wild strawberries, blackberries and cassis.
Seleny (Champagne) - This sparkling wine originated in the Seleny river basin of western Antiva. It is renown for its secondary fermentation that causes the wine in the bottle to produce carbonation.
Seleny became associated with royalty in the Black Age, when Asha Campana became the Queen of Antiva. As a favorite wine of the queen, she sent bottles of it as a gift to celebrate each new wedding she arranged for her children and grandchildren across Thedas. The tradition was adopted to pop a cork of Seleny in celebration at wedding ceremonies, and the wine is often affectionately nicknamed “campane”–or the Orlesian bastardization “champagne”–for this reason.
If you’d like to use these wines in your fanfic writing or DA roleplay, feel free to do so. You don’t have to credit me, but if you want to, you can tag me bc I’d really get a kick out of seeing them in action!
I have lots of friends and fellow fans to thank for brainstorming these with me or giving me prompts that led to these creations. I’m always a sucker for creating fictional culinary delights for Thedas, so if you wanna chat foods or world building (especially for Antiva), hit me up!
