The Interesting Legend of Wine - it all Started with a Suicide Attempt

According to the tale, the woman lost to the King and wished to end her life by eating rotten grapes stored in a jar. The suicide attempt did not go as she planned; instead she got drunk and eventually went to sleep. When she woke up, she felt as if all her troubles had vanished and this event encouraged her to continue taking the spoiled grapes. So going by this pleasant story, one can say that wine is not an invention of man but was, rather found by chance.

The history of wine is as old as civilization, the agriculture and the man himself. Historians suggest that wine was discovered accidentally during 6000 and 5000 BC. in the Fertile Crescent area, a region in between the Nile and the Persian Gulf. Archeological evidence has uncovered the earliest European wine production from crushed grapes in Macedonia 6500 years ago.

From the time of discovery of wine to this present date, wine has played animportant role in many rituals and customs of our society . In the ancient Egyptian period, wine became an integral part of ceremonial life, mainly funerary ceremonies. Only the richest Egyptians like the Pharaohs were able to drink wine. Wine was also common place in ancient Greece and Rome and in many other Western European countries.

The Egyptian Era

Though scientists have identified a wine jar from Hajji Firuz Tepe in the Northern Zagros Mountains of Iran, the widespread knowledge of wine cultivation is believed to have come from Egypt. The wine making method was represented on tomb walls dating back to 2600 BC. Maria Rosa, a master in Egyptology states that wine in ancient Egypt was of great importance and only the upper class people and kings had access to wine. Rosa further points out that the ancient Egyptians labeled the wine jars with grape type, year, source and the vine grower's name, but there is no mention about the color of the grapes. A recent discovery has shown that the wines in ancient Egypt were usually red.

The Ancient Greeks

Arrival of wine making process in ancient Greece is not well noted; many believe that wine manufacturing tradition was introduced to Crete by the Phoenician traders. Strong evidence of wine growing have also been found from Minoan Mycenaean cultures.

Wine was a very important trading article in Greece commerce. The Greeks were able to set up their colonies throughout the Mediterranean and this in turn eased the distribution of Greek wines in the region. The Greeks learned how to prevent wines from spoilage by adding different herbs and spices. Wine in ancient Greece was stirred in a glass before drinking.

Apart from trading, the Greeks used wine in the field of medical sciences. One of the well known doctors of the time, Hippocrates, also known as the Father of Medicine studied wine extensively for its use in medical sciences, specially to cure fever, convalescence and as an antiseptic. It must be mentioned here that the Greeks were equally aware about the negative health effects produced by the excessive drinking of wine.

The Romans

The Romans invented the viticulture (cultivation and study of grape growing) and oenology (the science of wine and winemaking). In the Roman Empire, wine formed a vital part of their daily meals as water could not always be trusted to be safe and healthy. During this period, wine making technology became more established with a significant impact on the Roman business. The Romans developed wooden barrels to store and ship wine, while bottles were used for the first time in the history of the wine world. The ancient Romans are also known to have dissolved pearls in wine for their better health.

With the expansion of Roman Empire, wine production grew to all of its provinces. During the Dark Ages when Roman Empire collapsed and when Europe passed through social and political turmoil, wine production was kept alive by the efforts of religious monks. Churches are known to have developed some of the finest vineyards in Europe.

Ancient China and Wine Production

Although wine was not much of a favorite of the ancient Chinese people, its production and consumption was popular in three different periods, mainly the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty. In ancient China rice wine was not as popular as the grape wine.

Wine in the Middle Ages and Today

Wine became popular in the Middle Ages, it was considered as a social drink for all occasions. In the northern regions of the Europe where no grapes were grown, beer and ale were dominant and in the Eastern part white vodka was the preferred drink.

America, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand that make wide varieties of wines are considered as the New World Wine Producers. The products of these countries were not well known to the wine consumers until late in the 20th Century.

The industrial revolution in the 20th century has provided wine makers with new technology and innovation that has made production much more efficient. Considerable R&D advances in viticulture and oenology have helped the modern manufacturers to produce more varieties of wines of much lower cost.

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