A Delightful History Of Wine!
With that in mind, join us as we take a walk through the history of wine, including where it originated (hint: it's not France) and how various cultures have produced and used it over the years.
--- Origins ---
The earliest known evidence of wine depends on your definition of wine itself. For example, historians have found remnants of wine made of fermented rice, fruit, and honey in China as far back as 7000 BCE. It’s possible that these ancient wines used wild grapes native to China in their recipes, but this would not have been the only fruit used if so. If you are more of a wine purist, the earliest examples of wine specifically made from grapes come from Georgia (the country) and date to around 6000 BCE. From there, the process of winemaking eventually spread farther west to the Ancient Mediterranean world via the Silk Road.
*** Ancient References ***
For many ancient cultures, wine was perceived as a gift from the gods. On the other hand, evidence also exists that fermented grape juice came about by accident and only began to be made deliberately after the consumer enjoyed the taste… or the effects of the alcohol ;).
*** Egypt ***
Like much of the Ancient Mediterranean world, viticulture was an extremely important cultural practice. Drinking wine was not only associated with religious festivals and celebrations but also was used for medicinal purposes. Unlike Greece and Rome, wine consumption in Ancient Egypt was a privilege only for the social elite. Alternatively, those less privileged would have drunk ale and water.
*** Greece & Rome ***
Fun fact - the Ancient Greeks were the original “wine snobs” and claimed that beer was a barbaric beverage. Earlier in history, the two beverages had held relatively equal acclaim. Wine was an incredibly important feature of life in Ancient Greece and is most often associated with Dionysus (known to the Romans as Bacchus), the god of wine/ winemaking, fertility, and madness. He is believed to have created wine and therefore responsible for spreading the art of viticulture through his evangelizing throughout the land.
*** Judaism & Christianity ***
In the Old Testament, the first task Noah sets out to complete following the flood is to plant vines and make wine. We can therefore ascertain that winemaking was an important component of daily life in ancient Jewish culture. If we fast forward to the creation of Christianity, wine gains an even more symbolically prominent position due to its use for the sacrament of communion.
Expansion & Industry
Thanks to Greek and Roman enthusiasm for vino, viticulture spread throughout most of the Mediterranean as well as much of Western Europe. Along with olive oil and grain, wine became one of the most important trading commodities for these ancient cultures. Later on, Christian missionaries and monks followed suit by spreading the knowledge of viticulture throughout new territories so that local communities would no longer need to rely on wine imported from Italy.
Despite the fall of the Roman Empire, viticulture seems to have been entrenched enough to continue and even increase during the following centuries. Wine was not only necessary for the expanding Christian world but also for more secular medical beliefs and practices. By the 14th century, wine production and distribution started to become standardized, and wine was a regularly taxed product. The quality of the product consequently became much more regulated and consistent.
For much of history, wine consumers primarily drank varietals from nearby regions as transporting wine over long distances was incredibly expensive. For communities outside of wine-growing regions, the average consumer typically couldn’t afford to drink wine at all.
By the 16th century, we see greater attention begin to be paid to the region rather than just style when producing wine. Also, for the most part, varietal and producer would not become major players in wine production until the 19th century. Instead, wines were most often described by color and style.
--- Storage Vessels ---
*** Kvevri
Kvevri from Georgia are large earthenware containers designed to be buried in the ground for climate control. They are also the oldest extant example of storage vessels for wine. Kvevri are unique in that, unlike the following vessels listed, they were likely not used for transport. However, they were likely used for every stage of the wine production process, from the crushing of the grapes to fermentation to drinking the resultant wine. Interestingly, wine is still made using Kvevri in this region today.
*** Amphorae
Amphorae were clay vessels that were extremely popular for transporting several liquid products across the ancient Mediterranean world, including wine and olive oil. These long, narrow vessels were easy to make and even easier to transport (by ship at least, though not so much by land). Fun fact - there’s an artificial mountain in Rome called Monte Testaccio that’s made entirely of discarded olive oil amphorae.
*** Wooden Barrels
About 2000 years ago, the Romans quickly replaced amphorae with wooden barrels because barrels could hold greater volumes of wine and were even easier and more efficient to transport due to their lighter weight. However, until relatively recently, barrels were used solely for the purpose of storage and were not considered a factor for adding character to the wine. The choice of oak was merely a happy coincidence. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of using wooden barrels is the increased risk of oxidation, which eventually led to…
*** Glass Bottles
First introduced in the 17th century, glass bottles with cork stoppers served as the ideal vessel for long-term storage and aging. Though size and shape varied quite a bit for the first couple of centuries, these glass bottles took on the shape we’re familiar with today around the 1820s.
--- New World ---
Spain and Portugal played a large role in introducing winemaking to Central and South America. In the 16th century, Spanish missionaries brought viticulture to regions such as modern-day Mexico, Chile, and Argentina with great success. England continued this trend in the following century along the North American Eastern Seaboard, though these efforts were initially a failure. The French attempted to establish wine production in modern-day Canada using grapes native to the territory rather than transplanting grapes from France, though these varieties were judged to be mediocre at best.
Around the same time that England and France were spreading the good word (i.e. winemaking) in North America, the Dutch brought viticulture to South America. And by the early 19th century, the British expanded their wine production to Australia.
Wine Today
In essence, wine is, as it has always been, fermented grape juice. While laws and practices surrounding the production of wine have changed over the millennia, winemakers today are continuing in a tradition thousands of years old.
New World viticulture has been around for centuries; however, until the last 50 years or so, wines from these regions were largely perceived as inferior to European products. And with the global effects of climate change, even the oldest and most highly respected wine-growing regions may significantly alter in the coming decades. That being said, regardless of where grapes are grown in the future, I think it’s safe to say that wine drinking will continue to be an integral part of daily life for civilizations to come.
JOIN US for a class, whether you’re painting and sipping wine during a Live Class at the studio OR painting and enjoying a glass from home with our Virtual Classes! We offer a large variety of wine and beer for you and your friends to enjoy as you paint the night away! Tons of fabulous paintings are always listed on the calendar, so be sure to check it out each month. February is all about your Valentine! Grab your honey and join us to celebrate the day of love… OR grab your ladies and join us for a GALENTINE’S celebration!
However you choose to utilize our classes, we highly recommend pairing them with your favorite WINE!!!