In his encyclopedic work Natural History, the Roman author Pliny the Elder documented widespread fraud in the wine trade, including the addition of water, herbs, and even lead compounds to improve taste and appearance. He noted that adulterated wine was a common problem in ancient Rome, with sellers often deceiving buyers to increase profits. Pliny's observations are among the earliest surviving written records of intentional food fraud in the Western world.

Pliny's Natural History became a foundational scientific and literary text for centuries, influencing poets and scholars during the Renaissance and beyond. His accounts of culinary deception provided a classical precedent for later satirists like Juvenal, who mocked Roman pretensions and corruption. The detailed descriptions of adulteration also informed the works of early modern naturalists and poets who sought to blend scientific observation with moral commentary.