Could every great house afford expensive wine?

[BellaRose25]

I know this is a strange question but I have it stuck in my head and I've only watched the show so I've come here to ask book wise could every great house afford expensive wine in both summer and winter?

[SeanF]

54 minutes ago, BellaRose25 said:

I know this is a strange question but I have it stuck in my head and I've only watched the show so I've come here to ask book wise could every great house afford expensive wine in both summer and winter?

Yes.  They would purchase wine and spirits in huge quantities, and store it in cellars.

Ale and cider would be brewed on the spot by an ale-wife, and consumed immediately.

[mormont]

To be technically accurate, historically wine and ale would not usually be stored in cellars but in a room near the great hall called the 'buttery' (because they were stored in large barrels called butts). The person in charge of the buttery was, of course, the butler.

But anyway. Yes, the Great Houses in ASOIAF are hugely wealthy and wine is a staple household good. They would have huge quantities of good wine on hand at all times.

[Alden Rothack]

the Great Houses, their Bannermen and in some cases their bannermen's bannermen are richer than any lord in any comparable ral place ever was

Any lord with twenty or more knights/lancers can afford the best wine and their lord probably buys it by the ton

[Lord Browndodd]

Yes but presumably dependent on the relative wealth of the family - I doubt Gawen Westerling would have as much of the really high-end stuff in his cellars as the Lannisters, for example.

[Darth Sidious]

On 12/9/2023 at 10:07 AM, BellaRose25 said:

I know this is a strange question but I have it stuck in my head and I've only watched the show so I've come here to ask book wise could every great house afford expensive wine in both summer and winter?

Expensive as in something that could pass for fit enough to serve a man of taste like Illyrio? Every great house? Probably yes. But not in the quantity to keep a man of appetite, Illyrio in this case, from going dry. The Starks would financially struggle to keep quality drinks in stock in large amounts. The cost would more than likely be higher because of the transportation effort to bring the goods to the north and the Starks are not wealthy. The Arryns will have the same problem. 

[SeanF]

On 12/9/2023 at 4:42 PM, mormont said:

To be technically accurate, historically wine and ale would not usually be stored in cellars but in a room near the great hall called the 'buttery' (because they were stored in large barrels called butts). The person in charge of the buttery was, of course, the butler.

But anyway. Yes, the Great Houses in ASOIAF are hugely wealthy and wine is a staple household good. They would have huge quantities of good wine on hand at all times.

Thanks.  Though, I don’t think hops were used to preserve ale, in medieval times, so it was typically produced on the spot, and consumed swiftly.

[Alden Rothack]

On 12/10/2023 at 10:34 AM, Lord Browndodd said:

Yes but presumably dependent on the relative wealth of the family - I doubt Gawen Westerling would have as much of the really high-end stuff in his cellars as the Lannisters, for example.

yes but the westerlings are about as poor as nobles can be not a great house

 

On 12/11/2023 at 4:23 AM, Darth Sidious said:

Expensive as in something that could pass for fit enough to serve a man of taste like Illyrio? Every great house? Probably yes. But not in the quantity to keep a man of appetite, Illyrio in this case, from going dry. The Starks would financially struggle to keep quality drinks in stock in large amounts. The cost would more than likely be higher because of the transportation effort to bring the goods to the north and the Starks are not wealthy. The Arryns will have the same problem. 

no they wouldn't, they could afford to give a hundred such men the best wine, they would rather do something useful with their good but they could if they thought it worth the expense to host him

[Universal Sword Donor]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:23 PM, Darth Sidious said:

Expensive as in something that could pass for fit enough to serve a man of taste like Illyrio? Every great house? Probably yes. But not in the quantity to keep a man of appetite, Illyrio in this case, from going dry. The Starks would financially struggle to keep quality drinks in stock in large amounts. The cost would more than likely be higher because of the transportation effort to bring the goods to the north and the Starks are not wealthy. The Arryns will have the same problem. 

Starks had plenty of summer wine on hand when Robert visited and it was being over served in the back where Jon was sitting. They had spiced wine as well. 
 

The visit obviously took its toll but Robert’s party was enormous and the Starks had it all covered. Even in the prologue we see rangers drinking wine and the officers enjoying it when Tyrion comes. Little if any of that is gonna be sourced from the North proper. 

[SeanF]

On 12/11/2023 at 4:23 AM, Darth Sidious said:

Expensive as in something that could pass for fit enough to serve a man of taste like Illyrio? Every great house? Probably yes. But not in the quantity to keep a man of appetite, Illyrio in this case, from going dry. The Starks would financially struggle to keep quality drinks in stock in large amounts. The cost would more than likely be higher because of the transportation effort to bring the goods to the north and the Starks are not wealthy. The Arryns will have the same problem. 

Both Houses are probably as rich as John of Gaunt.  They could afford the expense of importing wine.

[John Suburbs]

On 12/9/2023 at 10:07 AM, BellaRose25 said:

I know this is a strange question but I have it stuck in my head and I've only watched the show so I've come here to ask book wise could every great house afford expensive wine in both summer and winter?

If the great houses can't afford the best wines like the Arbor vintages, then no one can.