Wine Making & Beer Brewing - Wine Making and Beer Brewing Information

History of Wine

Wine Making, the ancient art or the ancient science; depends on who you ask. For over 5000 years wine making has played a part in shaping the history of the world. It is commonly agreed that the origins of wine making started in the Middle East, between the fertile regions of the Nile and the Persian Gulf. Accident or not, the discovery of wine has been a part of almost every culture since the beginning of time. The wine making process spread through the growth in population. Villages became cities, putting pressure on the demand for product. As nations and empires came and went the wine making process spread throughout the world.

In ancient Egypt wine making quickly developed into its own industry. Weaving itself into ceremonies, the wine making process was routinely recorded on the walls of tombs and caves. Cultivated and created through hard labour wine was enjoyed from the peasants to the pharaohs. Within the arid climate, wine skins were the most common means to keep the wine until consumption.

When the Roman Empire influenced the Middle East, wine instantly became fused to their culture. Wine became so common within the Roman Empire that it was pretty much considered part of their diet. The Romans have been credited with planting most of the vineyards found in Western Europe today. This precious business of wine making also saw many technological improvements at the hands of the Romans. In fact they are the ones who originally started using barrels and bottles to store and transport their wine. It was through the Catholic Church that the wine industry and wine culture survived the fall of the Roman Empire.

Today’s modern wine culture models that of the Greeks. You can still find vineyards in Greece today growing the same plants that were harvested many centuries ago. Theophrastas is the oldest known author to document the complete wine making process. Even the Greek gods were told to have enjoyed the wine that was produced.

Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Most wine is specifically created from the Vitis Vinifera species of grape. The different varieties of the species come in different sizes, shapes, color, juice amounts, have different ripening times and different disease resistances. Common names of the varieties are Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Cabernet Sauvignon.