Wine is an alcoholic drink made of fermented grapes. Drinks similar to wine can also be made of many other fruits or flowers but they need some name to differentiate them from grape wine (like honey wine).

Wine derives from the the Old English word win, that comes from the Proto-Germanic winam which came from the Latin word vinum, which can either mean "wine" or "vine".

Some say that the Republic of Georgia is the birthplace of modern-day wine. Wine may probably have been made in the valleys of Georgia for over 7,000 years. According to a Georgian legend, wine was first fabricated between 7000 and 5000 BC, when a Caucasian man found out that grape juice became joyful juice when buried during the winter in a compartment in a shallow hole.

Other early known proof of a fermented drink similar to wine is from a Chinese village called Jiahu dating from 6000 to 7000 BC. The wine, discovered in 16 buried jars, had millet, rice, beeswax (from honey) and either hawthorn fruit or wild grape in it. A 3,000 year old bronze jar has also been unearthed, still containing a similar liquid wine.

Ancient pottery jars discovered in Iran indicate that grape wine was made as far back as 5,500 BC. It is the oldest wine ever found and it is in the museum of Pennsylvania. This discovery is particularly significant, as Iran was not usually a grape-growing area, the main crops were mostly grains and beer was the favorite drink back then. As ancient Babylon was located on the Silk Road from China to the Mediterranean, wine was most likely used as a commodity for trade.

In Ancient Egypt, wine was important in ceremonial life. Although wild grapes were never grown there, a highly valued winemaking industry was established in the Nile Delta. The industry was probably the trade result between Egypt and Canaan during the Early Bronze Age, beginning from at least the Third Dynasty (2650 - 2575 BC), the start of the Old Kingdom period (2650 - 2152 BC). Winemaking pictures on tomb walls, and the lists of offerings that came along with them, included wine that was definitely produced in the vineyards of the delta. By the end of the Old Kingdom, five wines produced in the Delta, made part of a "menu," for the afterlife. The culture of wine in Europe came from the Greeks who spread the art of grape-growing and winemaking in Ancient Greece and Roman times.

Today, the regions that most produce wine worldwide are Europe, South America, California and New Zealand. The largest wine export nations are Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Chile, USA, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, Moldova, Hungary, Croatia and Argentina.

Wine history is very important for finding out why Europe has become such a wine capital. The worldwide influences on the area, the local climate, the soil, the grape species and the taste for the beverage made this drink become one of the most valuable foodstuffs in the world. A person who understands wine, understands the land, and therefore understands class and the arts.

About the Author

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Wine

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