Wine and its History
Wine is an alcoholic drink that proceeds from the juice of the grape, which passes through a process of fermentation permitted by the yeasts that are found in the skins of the grapes. We tell you below the history of wine.
As for its name, the term “wine” comes from the Latin “vinum”, a word that according to beliefs proceeds from the Greek oínos or from the Sanskrit vena. This drink was born in the course of the Neolithic period. Archaeological testimonies have been found in the region of the Zagros mountains, territory that is currently occupied by the nations of Iran and Iraq.
First evidences of the History of Wine
The most ancient evidence that was found concerning the production of wine dates from the year 5400 BC and is a vessel. This proof was found in Hajji Firuz Tepe, a Neolithic village located in the Zagros mountains. This vessel contains in its interior a residue of liquid of a reddish colour, which is believed to be wine.
However, another finding recounts more of the history of this drink. There was found the oldest cellar that has been known to the present, demonstrating that the most ancient production of wine is from Georgia, a country of Europe on the coast of the Black Sea, dating from the year 8000 BC. From that point, this drink went extending and popularising towards the south until reaching Egypt, and to the west until reaching Greece.
The most ancient evidence of wine in Ancient Greece refers to the eighth century BC, where it was recorded that the inhabitants mixed the drink with water and its conservation was done in goatskins.
With the passage of time, wine was associated with high society, which makes it indispensable at the hour of any important celebration. In fact, in this region wine is used every time an agreement or treaty is carried out.
Wine in the Bible
Wine is the only alcoholic drink that is present in several passages of the Bible, especially in the Last Supper of Jesus of Nazareth.
This is due to the fact that in the time in which Jesus Christ lived, in regions such as Rome, Greece and Egypt rituals of adoration were carried out towards Bacchus or Dionysus, who was considered the god of the vineyards.
However, long before the time of Christ in great countries of Asia, the process of fermentation of the grapes was already known, for in China they carried it out from approximately 4,000 years ago.
Finally, the popularity of wine as it is known at present was given thanks to the propagation of Christianity throughout the world. For this drink is the one that the Church uses at the hour of celebrating the Holy Eucharist or Mass.
While viniculture and viticulture were methods of making and extraction developed by the monasteries. A sample of this are the Priorato wines, whose name comes from the term prior, from the Latin language, which means “the first”.
At Bodegas Delampa we continue day by day writing pages in the history of wine.
