Wine Making | Beer Brewing

How come the wine you make doesn’t win any awards?  Is your wine not creating a social empire? Well, how are you making your wine and where are you getting your ingredients from? I’ll tell you something simple, if you are making your wine from a box nobody is going to hunt you down for you excellent wine.

Now don’t get me wrong, making wine from a box is just fine. Most people do it, but do it to enjoy it! Love the process, love the product, love the wine for what it is. If you want to be recognized for you superior quality wine, then start finding natural products and make your wine from scratch.

Yup, you have been told! It’s all about what you want it to be. If you just enjoy having a bottle or two laying around, and you’re not too worried about what it tastes like then buy the box. Don’t think twice about it, enjoy it.

If you want an award winning wine then get plugged into the industry. Find someone who is making an award winning wine and ask them about it. Chances are pretty good that they will tell you about everything they do and how they do it. If you as “What make your wine an award winner?” they will tell you all their “secrets”. Why? Because there are none in the wine industry. Wine makers want to share and tell the world about their wine. So ask.

History shows that wine serves many different purposes for different cultures, religions or even just family to family. Embrace your wine making efforts for what they are and enjoy every last bottle. Don’t focus on what you don’t have or what you are not making. Keep your focus on what you do have and what you are making then share with and tell everyone that you make wine.

Help continue and pass on the ancient tradition. With every bottle of wine that you make you are adding to the history of Wine Making.

Beer is the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world. It is also found to be the third most popular, next to water and tea. It is produced through the brewing and fermentation of starches such as malted barley, corn, wheat, and rice. Beer today is a huge industry with thousands of small and big producers worldwide. It is served in more casual social gatherings compared to wine and other more expensive beverages. The beverage is usually associated with bars, pubs, card games and festivals.

Beer is often associated with violent behavior for its temporary effects on the mind, causing judgment impairment, slurred speech, and grogginess, among others. It is also associated with promiscuousness for it removes personal inhibitions.

Social scientists would agree that beer drinking, or the drinking of any alcoholic beverage for that matter, could not be blamed directly for economic, physical, social, and psychological problems. Many of them concur that drinking is normal behavior as it has always been in ancient times. However, these experts are also drawing the line between “normal” drinking and excessive or problematic drinking.

History
It cannot be denied that beer has been around for a long time, since about the sixth millennium B.C. It is not only now that it is used in religious and social activities as proven by studies and research. Scholars also regard the cultivation of grain for beer and bread as one of the important agricultural milestones.

Egypt and Mesopotamia are believed to have been the first producers of beer. The earliest evidence found on the origins of the alcoholic beverage dates back to around 3,500 to 3,100 B.C. in Iranian mountains. Beer has since spread to Europe by Celtic and Germanic tribes, who mixed spices, various plants, honey, and even narcotic drugs to their drink. The Industrial Revolution saw the mass reproduction and distribution.

Social Drinking
It is not uncommon for people experiencing problems to drink beer. Many see it as a reliable companion in their misery. But beer is also often served in celebratory occasions – reunions, victories, night-outs, birthdays – rendering it a vital element to the society. “Buying someone a drink” is common practice in bars and pubs if someone wants to impress another person or simply as a sign of goodwill.

National governments worldwide have passed laws to regulate beer imports and exports, consumptions, and content. However, sociologists would argue that drinkers are mostly self-regulatory in terms of their own consumption. People tend to follow their own drinking rules, developed over time along with their drinking habits, compared to legal laws.

Beer, or alcohol in general, has been described as a “social tool” in all environments. Different societal backgrounds will of course yield various drinking cultures. The way the male species perceive and react to beer also differs from that of their female counterparts. Each society has varied levels of acceptance as to the proper venues of communal drinking.

Different cultures we may have but one thing we all have in common is the belief that these places where we drink should encourage social interaction and bonding. Such a place is usually confined within itself and has a culture of its own apart from the general society.

Wine has been a staple in social gatherings since ancient times. It was a favorite among Roman emperors, Greek scholars, and other civilizations. It is the alcoholic drink of choice by people from all walks of life up until contemporary times. The social aspects of wine include gatherings, parties, religious rites, special occasions, and even casual events. It is more than a product, it is a culture. It is not just a commodity; it is a collector’s item.

The main reason why wine is a highly regarded social tool is because it has characteristics and qualities that make it a favorite subjects among works of art, including paintings, poetries, and other literary pieces. At present times, it is a favorite topic in passionate discussions among the higher social circles. Technological breakthroughs and processes are constantly being invented I a bid to reach perfection in wine production.

Anyone with great understanding in wine-making is duly respected and admired. Wine is an ancient art, which began as early as 1,000 B.C. Many studies trace the origin of wine to the Balkan Range along the coast of the Black Sea.

The drink is mentioned in historical literary works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer. In Greco-Roman mythology, Dionysius (Liber in Roman) is worshipped as the god of wine. Also known as Bacchus, Dionysius is regarded as the patron of vine festivals. The god is also fittingly hailed the god of theatre, which was a venue for ancient people to socialize among themselves.

It used to be that women who drink wine were either prostitutes or harlots. This is perhaps attributed to the alcoholic drink’s inhibiting effects, making women bolder and more prone to committing adulterous acts. In ancient Greek and Roman culture, it is common for men at social gatherings to indulge themselves in sexual intercourse with party attendants after too much drinking. Men were not persecuted for adultery as much as women in those days.

In modern times, wine-making is considered a topic for intellectuals. Exhibits, expos, and auctions are regularly being held in places all over the world. An example of a major annual convention is the Boston Wine Expo. Such expos serve as venue for the world’s top producers to exhibit and sell their good. Aficionados flock such events to taste wine, for a fee, and buy off the most expensive and high-quality wine they could find.

Enthusiasts and collectors attend expos to exchange ideas and share their passion for the drink. Most of them are of the educated or what we may call the elite class. As such, observers noted how wine emerged as the drink of the higher classes compared to ancient times, when the beverage is closely associated with debauchery and sex among the lower classes.

Of course, the physical effects of wine will remain constant but compared with cheaper alcoholic beverages such as beer and vodka, among others, wine is associated with education, and class. This is the reason why it is a special commodity that is always included in special occasions.

It remains to be unknown where wine originally came from. However, scholars point out that wine making started about as early as 5,000 years ago. It is widely regarded as one of the earliest agricultural commodities and remains highly popular at present times.

Wine making involves the fermentation of grape juice obtained from crushing the fruit. Yeast is used as an aid to turn the liquid into alcohol and the quality and types of wine produce depends on the varieties of grapes and yeasts used.

Experts suggest that wine making could have originated earlier than the Greek and Egyptian civilizations. Evidence shows that the fermentation of grapes occurred in the likes of Georgia, Iran, and Israel around 6,000 BC at the earliest. As agriculture, civilization, and cuisine progressed, so did the technology of wine production.

Egypt

One of the earliest evidences of wine making is found among ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and artifacts. The Egyptians worshipped Osiris as the Lord of the Vine in Flower. His power to rise from the ashes is likened to inherent ability of grape plants to continue growing despite seeming like dead plants.

The Egyptians are believed to have cultivated grape plants along the Nile River. They are believed to have yielded both white and red wine of the sweet variety. The grapes were collected into plaited baskets before they are manually crushed by feet. The grape juices were stored in earthenware where they are fermented then siphoned off. Early drawings showed the Egyptians’ skills and cunning in wine making.

Greece

Ancient Greece also actively engaged in wine making, with Thrace as the most popular wine producer. Wine was considered a vital commodity at the time and is very highly priced at the time. Early Greek literary pieces, such as the Odysseus, often mentioned wine. Greek women enjoyed wine contrary to their Roman counterparts, who were not allowed wine over fear that it makes them more likely to commit adultery.

Vineyards were not separated from crops until between the eighth and sixth centuries B.C, when wine makers started clearing woodlands to make way for vineyards. Virgil once noted that the types of wine produced by the Greeks surpassed the number of sands on the seashore.

Rome

Romans are very fond of wine and are known to have taken after the Greeks in their wine making. Roman emperors and high officials drank wine for dinner. Romans are known to have their wines either pure or watered, the latter being popular among the lower classes.

The Roman Empire perfected the wine press and contributed much to the discovery, cultivation, and processing of several grape varieties. Their conquest of the Greeks is the reason why their wine making was Hellenic of nature.

Medieval Europe

The Romans and the Greeks had been instrumental spreading the art of wine making to many parts of Europe. The Medieval Catholic church used wine to hold Mass. France, as we know, is presently recognized as one of the world’s greatest wine producers.