The history of wine

The History of Wine

Has it ever occured to you how a widely-celebrated beverage known as ‘wine’ came to be? The history of wine is a fascinating one as it is deeply intertwined with human history itself. Wine has taken root in every part of the world through a journey filled with highlights worthy of your attention. Read on to find out about the history of Wine with Luxofood!

The Early History of Wine

To trace back to the origin of wine, scholars applied two main methods in identifying the winemaking : the presence of stocks and evidence of grape processing. Through such assessment, it’s concluded that the use of grapes as a wine recipe comes from china, about roughly 9.000 years ago ( 7000-6600 BC).

This recipe also involved fermented rice, honey and tartrate remnants as detected in the residues on pottery shards, but textual evidence only cited the evidence of grapes in the Zhou Dynasty at about 1046- 221 BC. The use of grapes were also believed to have originated from wild grape species in China- not that of European grapes. These were later introduced to China in the 2nd century BC, along with other imports.

From China, we’re moving forward to Western Asia, specifically in Iran. Winemaking facilities with earthenware jars or vessels dated back to 5400-5000 BC was proven to contain a mix of tannin and tartrate crystals. Lastly, evidence of wine in the European soil have been found in the oldest known winery (4100 B.C.) located among a group of caves outside the Armenian village of Areni. The village is still known for winemaking and makes red wines with a local grape also called Areni.

In Europe, wild grape (Vitis vinifera) pips have been found in fairly ancient contexts, such as Franchthi Cave, Greece (12,000 years ago), and Balma de l’Abeurador, France (about 10,000 years ago).

Remarkable Wine Notes Around The World

Since then, more and more historical evidence has shown how wine is used throughout the centuries, including:

900 BC : During the Iron Age in Northern Europe (Gaul), barrels are the preferred container to store and ship wine. Today, barrels are still used to flavor (season) wine and intentionally oxidized wine.
200 BC : Roman soldiers are encouraged to drink 2–3 liters of wine a day for good health.
40 BC : Cleopatra’s favorite wine is the ancient Greek wine, Muscat of Alexandria. The Muscat of Alexandria is still made today.
1000 : Château de Goulaine is built. Possibly the oldest operating winery.
1530 : Vines are imported by the Portuguese and Spanish to Mexico and Brazil.

1600 : The most highly desired wines of the day are sweet white wines such as Sauternes of Bordeaux, Riesling of Germany and Tokaji from Hungary.
1650 : Somewhere in Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc naturally cross to create Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mid-1800s: Sparkling wines are popularized in Champagne partially due to consistency in wine bottle manufacturing.

And The History Goes On..

Today, wine remains a highly popular drink enjoyed by many around the globe. With variety in brands, types, and even packaging, world producers and manufactures or wine continue to innovate and bring technological advances to fulfill the endless demands of the wine market.

But no matter how the years shape the evolution of wine, one thing remains consistent : Wine is a tradition and history combined, which shall always be celebrated regardless of the occasions.