History of wine: the origin of the oldest drink

Probably, no other drink in the history of mankind caused so many discussions and disputes. Many localities and peoples still struggle for the primacy and claim that they invented fermented grape juice, and those who do not pretend to the championship consider: only they, for example, can make a real drink according to all the rules! The history of wine counts more than one millennium. Scientists-archeologists and enologists (researchers studying wine), by the way, still can not give unambiguous answers to traditional questions: "Who, where, when?" But, according to the latest data, 10,000 years ago people already knew what the Cultural grapes (or Vitis Vinifera). And already in those times with pleasure ate berries and drank juice from it. During excavations, scientists extracted pottery clay amphoras presumably with the remains of wine, and the first documentary history of wine - drawings and texts-testimonies of the drink - dates back to the 4th millennium before the new era.

Of course, it is rather difficult to say for sure when people began to consume fermented juice in bulk. What is meant by the term "wine"? It is a drink with a low / average percentage of alcohol content, which is made by alcoholic fermentation of grapes (wort, juice) or pulp. According to modern historical data, viticulture and distilleries were cultivated still in the deepest antiquity, at the dawn of mankind. For example, in Syria and Transcaucasia, Mesopotamia and the Egyptian kingdom of the vine appeared up to 7,000 years ago. Even then, different methods of filtration and preparation became known. And the evidence is supported by archaeological finds: ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs, cuneiform texts, Mesopotamian carvings, as well as some other sources. Even then, people knew how to cook and drink wine.

Egyptian backstory

Egypt became one of the first countries in the Mediterranean where people started cultivating grape varieties. Here the wine was made in small quantities, and the divine drink was used mainly for religious purposes, for holidays and rituals. Note that drinking wine was allowed only a limited circle of nobles and priests.

Ancient Greeks

Approximately 3,000 years ago in Greece, wine culture has already established itself. The history of wine here began Crete and Cyprus, Samos and Lesbos - the drink from these areas was the most valuable. Greece was in optimal climate conditions, and therefore the Greek vines by definition could be considered one of the best to carry out winemaking. History already at that time mentioned more than 100 varieties of a drink from 150 varieties of vines.

Features of the then production

With a view to fermenting, the wine (young) got into a cellar in rather capacious vessels, which were fumigated with sulfur (the process lasted up to six months, and sometimes even more). Sweet wines were obtained by suppressing fermentation, storing them later in the cold. Often the wine insisted on the suit. These drinks wandered very slowly, only after five years of playing the wine were spilled over amphoras, labeled: there was indicated the area of production, the years of harvest, the presence of additives, color. The best wine was kept for the longest time. The cellar for fermentation was also equipped accordingly.

Dionysus and his role

According to Greek mythology, this art was owned by Dionysus, a god who was then called the master of wine affairs. In the mythology of antiquity, one of the names of the god was Bacchus (in the Latin version - Bacchus), and he was attributed a very cheerful disposition. And in ancient Rome, he had to manage the drinking of fermented juice. Bacchus (Bacchus) was dedicated to bacchanalia (special festivities). And the duties of this god on earth were performed by toasters and cupbearers.

Greek legend

Since ancient times, mankind has been engaged in viticulture. According to one of the Greek legends, the vine was found by the shepherd Estafilos. It is said that he went to find the missing sheep. Subsequently, he managed to see that she was eating grape leaves. Estafilos decided to collect from the vines several fruits unknown to anyone in those days to carry the berries to Oinos, his master. Oinos also squeezed juice from the bunches. And noticed that over time the drink became even more fragrant: so it turned out wine. The history of its manufacture in general, it should be noted, is very diverse.

Additional Ingredients

According to the technology of the ancient Greeks, it was added: salt and ash, gypsum and white clay, olive oil and pine nuts, crushed almonds and dill seeds, mint and thyme, cinnamon and honey. Ingredients that were used in the ancient Greek version, today tested by time: these days their use continues to produce wine. The quality of it sometimes depends on them directly.

Wines in Ancient Greece, according to research, had an increased content of alcohols, saccharinity, and extractivity. For example, a drink, obtained from grapes, but with additives of the vine juice or honey, turned out very dense. And the custom of water dilution of wine arises not only from desires to reduce its intoxication, but also because of too much concentration of such a drink as wine whose history goes back to antiquity.

Skoras Stalls and Rituals

These were the most famous cellars of ancient times. It contained more than 300,000 amphoras, which were filled with famous wines of that time, and there were about 200 of them. The ancient Greeks, like the Romans, always preferred red dark wine. It was usually given twice a day (at least): for dinner and for breakfast. Drinking this drink was accompanied by rituals. At first, everyone drank wine without diluting them, in honor of the god Dionysus, and after they shed a few drops on the ground, as a sign of dedication to the favorite deity. Then came craters - bowls not too large, with two handles. In this glassware mixed wine and cold water from the spring (in various proportions). Drinking was accompanied by a conversation, and the guests listened to music with poems, enjoying the performance of dancers. Under the existing rules, it was necessary to drink to the health of all those present, to give thanks to the deities (other than Dionysus), to remember those absent at the feast. Sometimes even competitions were organized: who will drink more. Drunk red intoxicated liquid is mainly of the stronger sex. And women in general are very rarely allowed to the table.

Roman history

The history of wine with success continued in ancient Rome. The main technologies for the production and cultivation of vines for the drink Romans, of course, borrowed from the Greeks. In those times, mass production increased even more, and in the imperial era, winemaking was widespread in all provinces of the empire. During this period the most appreciated were the Chios wines (from the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea) and the Falernian from Italy (Falerno).

Roman craftsmen greatly improved the technological process of distilleries, developed a technique of aging / fermentation of wine in sunlight, there was a longer exposure of products in amphora. For example, in the writings of Horace, there are even references to a 60-year-old drink, Pliny the Elder's testimonies speak of the fault of 2-century aging. It is believed easily, since the present strong wines (sherry, sotern) can be improved only by aging at 100 years. Roman citizens used wine flavored, and also used them in cooking.

Ancient wine export

In the Roman era, the trade in intoxicating beverages was the privilege of Italy. So it was until the Probe did not allow unlimited supplies of wine and the breeding of vines. Export Italian has penetrated all corners of the world, reaching even, for example, India, Scandinavia, Slavic territories. Celts, by the way, in those years could sell a slave for one amphora of quality wine. And even higher were estimated slaves-wine growers, who know how to make intoxicated, and they were quoted much better than slaves of another profession.

Wine (winemaking, as already mentioned, reached significant proportions at that time) was consumed at that time in a rather large volume per capita. For example, according to historical data, each slave daily received at least 600 milliliters of a cheap and light beverage (made from fish). Drinking from the masters was accompanied by certain rituals, which were similar to the ancient Greek. But to drink wine in Rome was allowed only to men who had reached the age of 30.

Gallium and others

For the first time vineyards outside of Italy began to arise in Gaul (6-7 century BC), but, according to researchers, the vine was first bred exclusively for food. But soon in Gaul (1st century) the drink is gaining quite a wide popularity: it starts to be produced in large quantities. Wine-making developed not only among the Gauls. Incidentally, with imported varieties from Rome, many European regions have cultivated and wild grapes. For example, in the valleys of the Danube and the Rhine, the Rhone and other places. In the 5th century, the subtleties of production, one way or another, were learned in many places in Southern and Central Europe.

Roughly speaking, the boundaries of the zone of wine making and wine production are the 49th degree of northern latitude, a line conventionally conducted from the mouth of the Loire (France) to the North Caucasus and the territories of the present-day Crimea. All the not too numerous regions of viticulture that are located to the north are added to this zone by the centennial efforts of painstaking selection work. It should be noted that in the territory of the Crimean peninsula, as far back as antiquity, the colonists from Greece grew a vine, but its cultures were later almost completely destroyed by Muslims.

Persian history

The Persians also have their own legend of the origin of the wine. One day, King Jamshid, resting in the shadow of the tent, watching the training of his archers, was distracted by a situation unfolding at a distance. A bird of rather large size hit the snake's mouth. Jamshid immediately orders the shooters: to kill the reptile immediately. One of the shots managed to hit the snake, hitting the head. When the bird escaped from the snake's mouth, she flew to the ruler of Persia and dropped the seeds from her beak. Of these, and turned out branched bushes, which give a lot of fruit berries. Jamshid really liked the juice of these berries, but when he was once brought a little fermented juice, he began to get angry and ordered to hide the drink. As time went on, one beautiful concubine of the king began to suffer with the strongest headaches, so much that she wanted to die. She found a discarded container with fermented juice and drank everything to the very bottom. Immediately the slave fell insensibly, but did not die, but fell asleep. And when she awoke, the slave became again a pretty, healthy, cheerful spirit. Jamshid also learned about this news of healing. And then he decided to proclaim this sour juice from delicious fruits with medicine.

The Dark Middle Ages

In those ancient times, the spread of wines contributed to several factors: strengthening the position of Christianity and the active development of navigation.

Moreover, the clerics not only encouraged the use of wines for ritual purposes in every possible way, but also developed technologies, promoting its mass production and drinking. And today the varieties produced traditionally in monasteries are highly appreciated.

And thanks to the development of seafaring, the countries where wine was produced could establish appropriate trade relations with neighboring neighbors and with other continents. The following misconception is common, that the wines got to the Chinese and Japanese on these ships, but in fact, these drinks existed there earlier, they were often under the ban of rulers.

In connection with the developed export in England, sherry with Madeira was in high demand - the English began to drink wine, just like water. In the Middle Ages, no one heard of tea, and they served wine at every meal. The world was already conquered by him.

The role of Christianity

In the development of winemaking a huge role was played by the adoption in Europe of the Christian church, which encouraged the production of wine. In the Middle Ages viticulture was actively supported by many monastic orders. On the day of every monk relied 300 grams of drink, but no one was punished with the increase of this norm. First, barrels were used in the manufacture of wood, which were invented by the Gauls. And a well-known technology was developed: the wines were poured into barrels, they were kept there, and they were transported in them. European technology has since began to acquire a character close to modern production.

History of wine in Russia

According to official documents, it is believed that winemaking in Russia was organized in 1613. Then in Astrakhan the first vine saplings, brought by merchants, are planted on the monastery territory. Grapes get along well. In the same year, with the decree of Tsar Mikhail Romanov, the "garden of the sovereign's court" was laid.

By the way, in 1640, a gardener named Yakov named Botman was invited to Astrakhan from abroad. He taught the local wine growers the subtleties of the art of growing grapes and, in passing, perfected irrigation systems: instead of chigiri, irrigation was used with the help of windmills. Year by year the production process was adjusted, and already in 1657 from Astrakhan to the king's table was sent the first batch of wine products.

By the way, despite the fact that in some regions of Russia distilleries appeared many centuries ago (the territory of Dagestan, the region of the lower reaches of the Don River), in Rus traditionally preferred mead, beer, and marry. Industrial production of the drink began only under Peter the Great - the king respected foreign technology, introducing them throughout the country. And he wanted to have a producer with a drink like wine.

In Soviet times, the largest vineyard sovkhozes were established in the territories of the RSFSR. And in 1928 the most popular brand of "Soviet champagne" was invented, which was produced at the Abrau-Durso factories (in 1936 - throughout the Soviet country).

History of Champagne Wine

Occasional and incidents that have become after the zest. To learn the history of wines, for example, the wine of champagne, and in another way - light and sparkling - just "rewind" three and a half centuries. As the name implies, it appears in France, and the main region for the production of sparkling wine is Champagne - the French province. The 1668th is traditionally considered the date of birth of bubbly wine, when Godino, abbot of the Reims cathedral, describes in the church book "a drink with a light color, almost white, saturated with gases." After a couple of decades, the country was already experiencing a real bubble boom. Champagne in France comes into fashion, which allows you to improve production and improve technology.

And by the way, it is quite real that sparkling appeared by chance. Antiquity vinokuram also knew the characteristics of some wines, which, after fermenting, in spring again begin to ferment, and in the tanks formed gases. Such properties have traditionally been considered a side effect in winemaking, and did not attach much importance to this. On the contrary, they even considered it to be a consequence of not too high-quality work of distilleries. But in the second half of the 17th century the situation changed. And the wine produced in the French abbeys has become very popular. And talented and inventive winemakers, such as "Dom Perignon" and "Udar", created and perfected production technologies for sparkling wine.