Now, although it may be stretching the imagination to think of some small, furry rodents frolicking around a bunch of naturally fermenting grapes some 60 million years ago, but the picture is basically valid. Grapes, you see, are somewhat unique in the plant kingdom. Contained within the skin of the noble grape are sugars, acids, tannin and nutrients in sufficient quantity to make a small amount of serviceable wine, lacking only some yeast to accomplish the metamorphosis. Fortunately, wild yeast like to congregate on the surface of the grape, to await a most opportune puncture of the barrier. So, unlike the fermented products of honey or grains, the fermented product of grapes was just waiting to be discovered.
Time passes . . .
The production and consumption of wine spread to Babylon, Sumeria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. With the rise of the Roman Empire, vineyards and wine were firmly established throughout Italy. The Muscat wines of Samos were praised by Homer. Pliny, in turn, mentioned numerous kinds of ancient grapes. The Greeks and Romans were well acquainted with the qualities of aged wine.