As one of the most popular beverages in the world, wine has a long history. It is a drink with many faces and wine grapes are now present on all continents, including Antarctica. Wine is a drink rich in variety and flavor. It can last for years, decades, and even centuries. Wine has enormous symbolic importance and was essential to many religious ceremonies for thousands of years. Thus, it is unsurprising that its very name sounds similar in most of the world’s languages. The English word “wine” comes from the Latin word vinum, reminding us of its paramount importance to the everyday life of the ancient Romans, who laid the foundations of modern-day wine culture, and the wine industry. Yet, wine predates the Roman Empire, not by centuries but by millennia. Join us as we walk through the history of wine in 9 amazing facts.
1. The history of wine begins not in Europe but in Asia
Like coffee, another popular drink that reshaped the world, the history of wine did not originate in Europe. Instead, archaeological evidence indicates that wine was first produced in China around 9000 BCE. However, it was much different than our present-day beverage, as ancient Chinese wine was made with grapes, fermented rice, and honey. Two thousand years later, the seeds of what became the European winemaking tradition began in western Asia, in Iran. As for Europe, the first evidence for domesticated grapes comes from the Southern Caucasus, the area occupied by present-day Armenia and Georgia.
In 2016, archeologists discovered the world’s oldest winery in Armenia, dating to 4100 BCE. Among the material found in a cave were a drinking bowl and cup, a grape press, and fermentation jars. The grape juice made from Vitis vinifera, was buried underground for winter, allowing it to ferment and produce wine. According to research, the final product was like an unfiltered red wine, and would have tasted like Merlot. This wine from Armenia was also the first known beverage used in religious ceremonies, as the cave was once a burial ground.
2. Wine was the drink of the pharaohs and the gods
Wine entered written history in ancient Egypt in the third millennium BCE. However, while tomb paintings show people harvesting grapes, and making and drinking the red liquid, another drink — beer — was favored over wine. There was simply not enough land to cultivate grapes, and the climate was also unfavorable for large-scale wine production. Wine remained the drink of the pharaohs and the elites, becoming a status symbol and, by extension, a drink used in religious ceremonies.
Due to its red color, the ancient Egyptians thought wine resembled blood. Thus, it was linked to the myth of Osiris, perceived as the blood of the god of resurrection. In addition, archaeological findings suggest that wine was used in burial ceremonies and for medical purposes. Ancient Egyptians probably encountered wine grapes through trade with the mariners of the ancient Mediterranean — the Phoenicians. They also helped to spread wine culture north towards the Jewish kingdom in Palestine. As in Egypt, Jews also began cultivating wine, making it an essential part of their ceremonies. They also made it a foundation of their scriptures. Noah, the builder of the famous Ark, was also one of history’s first known vintners.
3. The Greeks democratized wine
The Phoenicians became key players in the wine trade, spreading grapes across the Mediterranean. However, wine took its most fateful steps in another place, becoming one of the integral elements of ancient Greek society. The earliest evidence for wine in the region comes from Minoan tombs on Crete, dating back to 3000 – 2000 BCE. In the centuries that followed, Greeks perfected the beverage. But, more importantly, they made wine widely available. No longer restricted to the upper classes, wine reflected Greek democracy. It became a staple of everyday life, for everyone from kings to commoners.
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