page_title: History of wine
hierarchical_section_title: History of wine
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Mosaïque de Dyonisos et Ariane à Paphos
context_page_description: Wine has been produced for thousands of years. The evidence of wine in China, Georgia[6] from 6000 BC, Iran from 5000 BC, and Sicily from 4000 BC.
  The oldest archaeological evidence of wine produced from grapes has been found at sites in China, Georgia, Levant, Iran, Greece, and Sicily. The earliest-extant evidence of wine production has been found in Armenia.
  The altered consciousness produced by wine has been considered religious since its origin. The ancient Greeks worshiped Dionysus or Bacchus and the Ancient Romans carried on his cult. Consumption of ritual wine was part of Jewish practice since Biblical times and, as part of the eucharist commemorating Jesus's Last Supper, became even more essential to the Christian Church. Although Islam nominally forbade the production or consumption of wine, during its Golden Age, alchemists such as Geber pioneered wine's distillation for medicinal and industrial purposes such as the production of perfume.
  Wine production and consumption increased, burgeoning from the 15th century onwards as part of European expansion.
context_section_description: Wine has been produced for thousands of years. The evidence of wine in China (c. 7000 BC), Georgia[6] from 6000 BC,  Iran from 5000 BC, and Sicily from 4000 BC. 
  The oldest archaeological evidence of wine produced from grapes has been found at sites in China (c. 7000 BC), Georgia (c. 6000 BC), Levant (c. 5000 BC), Iran (c. 5000 BC), Greece (c. 4500 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC). The earliest-extant evidence of wine production has been found in Armenia (c. 4100 BC).
  The altered consciousness produced by wine has been considered religious since its origin. The ancient Greeks worshiped Dionysus or Bacchus and the Ancient Romans carried on his cult. Consumption of ritual wine was part of Jewish practice since Biblical times and, as part of the eucharist commemorating Jesus's Last Supper, became even more essential to the Christian Church. Although Islam nominally forbade the production or consumption of wine, during its Golden Age, alchemists such as Geber pioneered wine's distillation for medicinal and industrial purposes such as the production of perfume.
  Wine production and consumption increased, burgeoning from the 15th century onwards as part of European expansion. Despite the devastating 1887 phylloxera louse infestation, modern science and technology adapted and industrial wine production and wine consumption now occur throughout the world.
caption: Hellenistic mosaics discovered close to the city of Paphos depicting Dionysos, god of wine.
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