the-captivating-legend-of-wine-production-it-all-started-in-ancient-egypt
The Captivating Legend of Wine Production - it all Started
in Ancient Egypt
According to the tale, the woman lost to the King and wished
to end her life by eating spoiled table grapes stored in a
jar. The suicide attempt did not go as she planned; instead
she got drunk and eventually passed out. When she woke up,
she felt as if all her troubles had vanished and this event
encouraged her to continue taking the spoiled grapes. So
going by this pleasant story, one can say that wine is not
an invention of man but was, rather found by chance.
The history of wine is as old as civilization, the
agriculture and the man himself. Archeologists suggest that
wine was discovered accidentally during 6000 and 5000 BC. in
the Fertile Crescent area, an area in between the Nile and
the Persian Gulf. Archeological evidence has uncovered the
earliest European wine production from crushed grapes in
Macedonia 6500 years ago.
From the time of discovery of wine to today, wine has played
animportant role in many rituals and customs of modern
society . In the ancient Egyptian period, wine became an
integral part of life, mainly funerary ceremonies. Only the
richest Egyptians like the Pharaohs were able to enjoy wine.
Wine was also common in ancient Greece and Rome and in many
other European countries.
The Egyptian Times
Though scientists have identified a wine jar from Hajji
Firuz Tepe in the Northern Zagros Mountains of Iran, the
widespread knowledge of wine cultivation is believed to have
come from Egypt. The wine making method was represented on
tomb walls dating back to 2600 BC. Maria Rosa, a master in
Egyptology states that wine in ancient Egypt was of great
importance and only the upper class people and kings had
access to wine. Rosa further points out that the ancient
Egyptians labeled the wine jars with product, year, growning
area and the vine grower's name, but there is no mention
about the color of the wines. A recent discovery has shown
that the wines in ancient Egypt were usually red.
The Ancient Greeks
Arrival of wine making process in ancient Greece is not well
documented; many believe that wine manufacturing tradition
was introduced to Crete by the Phoenician traders. Strong
evidence of wine growing have also been collected from
Minoan Mycenaean cultures.
Wine was a very important trading article in Greece
business. The Greeks were able to set up their colonies
throughout the Mediterranean and this in turn eased the
export of Greek wines in the region. The Greeks learned how
to prevent wines from rotting by adding different herbs and
spices. Wine in ancient Greece was stirred in a glass before
drinking.
Apart from trading, the Greeks used wine in the field of
medicine. One of the well known medicine practitioners,
Hippocrates, also known as the Father of Medicine studied
wine extensively for its use in medicine, specially to
reduce fever, convalescence and as an antiseptic. It must be
mentioned here that the Greeks were equally aware about the
negative health effects produced by the excessive drinking
of wine.
The Romans
The Romans discovered the viticulture (cultivation and study
of grape growing) and oenology (the science of wine and
winemaking). In the Roman Empire, wine formed a important
part of their daily meals as water could not always be
trusted to be safe and clean. During this period, wine
making technology became more established with a significant
impact on the Roman business. The Romans developed barrels
to store and ship wine, while bottles were used for the
first time in the history of the wine world. The Romans are
also known to have dissolved pearls in wine for their better
health.
With the expansion of Roman Empire, wine production expanded
to all of its provinces. During the Dark Ages when Roman
Empire fell and when Europe passed through social and
political unrest, wine production was kept alive by the
efforts of religious monks. Churches are known to have
developed some of the finest vineyards in Europe.
Ancient China and Wine
Although wine was not much of a favorite of the ancient
asian people, its production and consumption was popular in
three different periods, mainly the Han Dynasty, Tang
Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty. In China rice wine was not as
popular as the grape wine.
Wine in the Middle Ages and Modern Life
Wine became popular in the Middle Ages, it was considered as
a social drink for all occasions. In the northern regions of
the Europe where no grapes were grown, beer and ale were
dominant and in the Eastern part Vodka made from potatoes
was the preferred drink.
America, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New
Zealand that manufacture wide varieties of wines are
considered as the New World Wine Producers. The products of
these countries were not well known to the wine drinkers
until late in the 20th Century.
The industrial revolution in the 20th century has provided
wine growers with new technology and innovation that has
made production much more efficient. Considerable R&D
advances in viticulture and oenology have helped the modern
manufacturers to produce more varieties of wines of much
lower cost.
For RSA Training online visit SBIT. You can find more info
about Queensland RSA Courses from Southbank Institute of
Technology.
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This historical overview examines the development of wine.
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