History
Of Wine
Wine has been around for
thousands of years. From ancient civilizations to modern times, wine
has been produced and enjoyed by many, from peasants to kings.
Beginnnings
Evidence of wine production dates as far back as 6000BC,
to early Mesopotamian culture. The Mesopotamians were the first known
people to cultivate grapes.
The ancient Egyptians recorded
the harvest of grapes on stone tablets and the walls of their tombs.
The Egyptians loved wine and even imported what they could not grow.
The Egyptian Pharaohs were especially fond of wine. Some of them were
even buried with bottles of wine, in order to make their journey to
the underworld more tolerable. Wine was a very social drink in Ancient
Egypt and great importance was given to its production and consumption.
The Egyptians were not the
first to grow wine, but they were the first to record the process of
wine making and celebrate its values. 
Wine
in Ancient Greece and Rome
Wine in ancient Greece was praised and immortalized by her
poets, historians and artists. Wine also played a role in the religion
of Ancient Greece, associated with the god Dionysus.
Like the Egyptians, the ordinary
citizens did not consume wine. It was considered a privilege of the
upper classes. Wealthy Greeks even invented a popular wine tossing game
that consisted of throwing the last few mouthfuls of wine from a guest's
cup into the air. The object was to hit a delicately balanced dish on
a pole with the "tossed" wine.
During the time of the Roman
Empire, the production of wine spread throughout Europe. At this time,
wine also became available to the common citizens. Some cities even
built bars on almost every street in order to promote wine.
Roman wine was said to be
sweet rather than dry. Pure red or white wines were almost unthinkable
in Ancient Rome. The Romans believed that flavoring was more important
than the original taste of the wine. They added such flavors as fermented
fish sauce, garlic and onion to their wines.
The
Dark Ages
During the Dark Ages wine production was mainly kept alive through the
efforts of monasteries. As the Church extended their monasteries, they
began to develop some of the finest vineyards in Europe. Although most
wine production was done in monasteries, some religious believers diluted
their wine with water in order to make it "safer" for them
to drink.
Due to the fact that most
of Europe lacked a reliable source of drinking water, wine was still
considered to be an important part of everyday diet. During this time,
people also begin to favor stronger, heavier wines.
England began importing
wine from Germany when they lost Bordeaux to the French in the 14th
century. Portugal also shipped wine to England, which helped keep the
two countries on friendly terms.
Shakespeare's
Time
During Shakespeare's time, wine was very much a staple of the diet.
Beer was a favored alternative, yet wine enjoyed more attention. It
was during this time, when wine began to diversify and consumers began
to value the concept of variety in their drinking. Citizens of Shakespeare's
age clearly enjoyed drinking wine and began to discuss its virtues and
pitfalls with greater enthusiasm than in the previous centuries.
By the end of Shakespeare's
life, an abundant supply of fresh drinking water was available to London
for the first time, and so the wine industry was moved into a new age.
17th
and 18th Century
The wine industry saw a brief decline in the 17th century. Politics
and religious propaganda did little to promote the drinking of wine
for pleasure. Wine also had to face the rival of a clean and readily
available supply of drinking water. Wine was no longer needed as a major
part of the daily diet.
Despite all of this, many
new developments helped the wine industry keep its popularity. The invention
of better glass making, the cork and other accessories, as well as better
methods of production helped wine through the 17th century.
Wine went through several
changes during the 18th century. England witnessed many of these due
to its political relations with France. Because of the strained relations
with France, the English were without a major source of wine and had
to look elsewhere for their drink. They turned to Portugal, Holland,
and South Africa for their wine.
Despite their strained relations
with the British, the French wine industry soared in the 18th century.
Many people feel that this was when the wines of Bordeaux really began
to flourish. The merchants who frequented the Bordeaux region came from
Holland, Germany, Ireland and even Scandinavia. As a result, Bordeaux
was able to successfully trade wine for coffee and other much sought
after items from the New World, which helped cement the role of wine
in the growing industry of world trade.
19th
Century
During the early 19th century, when the British were fighting the Napoleonic
Wars, they were unable to get a steady supply of wine from France, and
instead turned to Portugal. Port became the favored wine in England
during this time.
Champagne also gained favor
in the 19th century. The French widow Nicole-Barbe Clicquot-Ponsardin
is credited with making Champagne the celebrity wine of the world. She
found easier ways to remove the sediment from Champagne and replaced
it with wine, sugar, and brandy. She also organized the production of
Champagne so that it could be done in an assembly line, making this
beverage truly "modern."
The wines of New World began
challenging those of the Old World in the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson
was convinced that the lack of fine wines in America was driving his
fellow citizens to drink too much hard liquor. This idea carried on
after his death and influenced the way Americans viewed wine. Ohio was
the first region in America to successfully grow grapes for wine. Its
glory soon faded, however, and California soon took its place.
Although the 19th century is considered to be the golden age of wines
for the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions, it was not without tragedy. Around
1863 many of the French grapevines began to suffer from a mysterious
disease. It was soon discovered that this disease was the caused by
the Phylloxera aphid. Some French winemakers at this time, moved to
the Rioja region in northern Spain, and taught the Spaniards to make
wine from local Tempranillo grapes.
Modern
Times
The last 90 years have seen a revolution in the wine industry. The scientific
background of wine making has developed greatly, allowing for many things
that were once impossible to be accomplished. An example of this would
be refrigeration. Before the 1940s, wine was supplied to people according
to their geographic location. After the development of refrigeration,
it was easier for wineries to control the temperature of their fermentation
process. This enabled high quality wines to be produced in hot climates.
Machines that harvest grapes
more quickly have allowed vineyards to become larger and more efficient.
Grapes can also be harvested during day or night, allowing vineyards
to control the temperature and climate when grapes are harvested.
Modern wine makers can now
achieve total control of every stage of wine making, from harvesting,
and crushing to bottling. Though recent advances in technology have
benefitted the wine industry, they have also led to the temptation to
produce more wine at the expense of quality. Wine makers face the challenge
of producing wine for a larger market without losing the character and
individual flavor of their wines.
More countries are producing
more varieties of wine than ever before. Advances in technology will
ensure that this trend will continue, with more countries producing
more wine, and better wine.
