9 Things You Need to Know about Wine through the Ages
By: Chris Lischewski
Tags: Wine, History, Vineyard, Alcahol, Winery

From viticulture’s 8,000-year-long history to the 10,000 different varieties of grapes, we look at nine fascinating facts you need to know about winemaking.

1. The earliest evidence of winemaking dates back 8,000 years.

Archaeologists excavating a Neolithic settlement in Tbilisi, Georgia, unearthed clay pots that contained remnants of the world’s oldest known wine.

The site, known as “Gadachrili Gora,” consists of a clutch of Stone Age brick houses nestled in a fertile river valley. Pottery found in the area featured grape motifs, while an analysis of pollen samples indicates that the surrounding wooded hillsides were once laden with grapevines.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

2. Sir Kenelm Digby invented the wine bottle in 1633.

The Englishman developed the robust green glass bottle so synonymous with the wine industry today.

Up until that point, glass bottles were too fragile for wine storage. Wine was stored in barrels, but as soon as they were opened, the wine needed to be drunk quickly before it deteriorated due to oxidization.

Before Sir Digby’s invention, great wines were considered to be those that thrived on oxidation (e.g. Sherry, Marsala, and Madeira). The development of toughened glass bottles revolutionized wine aging and collecting, meaning that more delicate wines could be stored in an oxygen-free environment and aged to bring out their subtle tasting notes.

The advancement led to the establishment of an entirely new market in fine wine, such as the commoditization of vintage Champagne, Bordeaux, and Port.

3. Most countries produce wine today.

The consumption of alcohol is illegal in several Middle Eastern countries. Nevertheless, the region has a history of winemaking that dates back thousands of years.

Today, Lebanon is enjoying a renaissance in viticulture, which began in the country at around 7,000 BCE. Similarly, Israel is enjoying a revival, with both countries producing international standard wines.

Other lesser-known wine producers around the world include Tahiti, Hawaii, Ethiopia, Madagascar, India, China, and Sweden.

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4. All 50 US states produce wine.

Viticulture is synonymous with California, which produces more wine than the other 49 states combined. Chardonnay is the state’s most popular grape variety, with Cabernet Sauvignon coming a close second.

Washington is the next biggest wine producer in the US, specializing in Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blends, Syrah, Tempranillo, Riesling, and Bordeaux blends.

5. When it comes to fine wines, smell is more important than taste.

Our sense of smell is much stronger than we realize. As a nation of food lovers, the French have long understood this. French women apply perfume sparingly, so their signature scent does not overpower the aromas of their favorite dish.

Our olfactory capabilities are a key component in wine tasting. It is believed that up to 85 percent of what we taste is actually perceived through smell. When you drink wine, gently swirl the glass, causing molecules to diffuse into the air, which can enable you to detect the wine’s subtle aromatics. Some experts recommend keeping your mouth open a bit as you inhale and exhale the wine’s aromas, allowing you to discern even more of the wine’s perfumes.

If a wine smells good, it is usually sound. Aromas of mold, vinegar, wet dog, and old newspapers are all indicative of spoiled wine.

6. The practice of toasting is believed to come from ancient Greece.

Historians suggest that the practice once formed as part of aggressively competitive drinking. They believe the practice originally stems from Greek libation, a custom where individuals would pour away part of their drink in honor of the gods.

In the first century BCE, it was decreed by the Roman Senate that diners must drink to the good health of Emperor Augustus before commencing every meal. Meanwhile, Britain’s first recorded toast took in 450 CE at a feast for King Vortigern.

The “toast” derives its name from the pieces of charred bread that were routinely dropped in wine as a form of h’or d’oeuvre or to improve the wine’s flavor.

7. Ancient wines were very different from the wines we drink today.

In many ways, they bore little resemblance whatsoever. Ancient wine was much syrupier and therefore stronger. The Greeks and Romans added wine to stagnant water — partly to purify it, and partly improve the flavor.

Homer’s Odyssey cites a ratio of 1 part wine to 20 parts water. This wine/water mix was usually a more sanitary and palatable alternative to curdled milk or bog water.

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8. Cabernet Sauvignon is currently the most popular grape variety, with Merlot in a close second.

Both varieties feature complex flavors, and are usually worthy of aging. Is it their inherent quality that makes them the most popular grapes in the world?

Some would argue that it may have more to do with marketing. Though they both undeniably possess excellent attributes, there are more than 10,000 different varieties of wine grape today.

9. France continues to dominate the world of winemaking.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc, all high-ranking varieties, originate in Bordeaux, France, one of the world’s most famous winemaking regions.

If Portugal, Spain, Italy, or Greece had dominated the industry for all of these centuries, the chances are that mainstream grape varieties would be very different today.