Wine is an alcoholic drink made of fermented grapes. Drinks similar to wine can also be made of many other fruits or flowers but they need some name to differentiate them from grape wine (like honey wine).

Wine derives from the the Old English word win, that comes from the Proto-Germanic winam which came from the Latin word vinum, which can either mean "wine" or "vine".

Some say that the Republic of Georgia is the birthplace of modern-day wine. Wine may probably have been made in the valleys of Georgia for over 7,000 years. According to a Georgian legend, wine was first fabricated between 7000 and 5000 BC, when a Caucasian man found out that grape juice became joyful juice when buried during the winter in a compartment in a shallow hole.

Other early known proof of a fermented drink similar to wine is from a Chinese village called Jiahu dating from 6000 to 7000 BC. The wine, discovered in 16 buried jars, had millet, rice, beeswax (from honey) and either hawthorn fruit or wild grape in it. A 3,000 year old bronze jar has also been unearthed, still containing a similar liquid wine.

Ancient pottery jars discovered in Iran indicate that grape wine was made as far back as 5,500 BC. It is the oldest wine ever found and it is in the museum of Pennsylvania. This discovery is particularly significant, as Iran was not usually a grape-growing area, the main crops were mostly grains and beer was the favorite drink back then. As ancient Babylon was located on the Silk Road from China to the Mediterranean, wine was most likely used as a commodity for trade.

In Ancient Egypt, wine was important in ceremonial life. Although wild grapes were never grown there, a highly valued winemaking industry was established in the Nile Delta. The industry was probably the trade result between Egypt and Canaan during the Early Bronze Age, beginning from at least the Third Dynasty (2650 - 2575 BC), the start of the Old Kingdom period (2650 - 2152 BC). Winemaking pictures on tomb walls, and the lists of offerings that came along with them, included wine that was definitely produced in the vineyards of the delta. By the end of the Old Kingdom, five wines produced in the Delta, made part of a "menu," for the afterlife. The culture of wine in Europe came from the Greeks who spread the art of grape-growing and winemaking in Ancient Greece and Roman times.

Today, the regions that most produce wine worldwide are Europe, South America, California and New Zealand. The largest wine export nations are Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Chile, USA, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, Moldova, Hungary, Croatia and Argentina.

Wine history is very important for finding out why Europe has become such a wine capital. The worldwide influences on the area, the local climate, the soil, the grape species and the taste for the beverage made this drink become one of the most valuable foodstuffs in the world. A person who understands wine, understands the land, and therefore understands class and the arts.

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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Wine

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Wine - A Special Drink For Special Occasions


Wine is an alcoholic drink made of fermented grapes. Drinks similar to wine can also be made of many other fruits or flowers but they need some name t...


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Headlines on Goat Cheese

Seats Still Available for Fabulous Wine Dinner at Bijoux

Tue, 21 Oct 08 08:19:15 -0700
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Tue, 21 Oct 08 08:04:24 -0700
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2006 Blackbird Vineyards "Illustration" Proprietary Red Wine

Tue, 21 Oct 08 07:02:00 -0700
Filed under: WineTouted in Vanity Fair, Robb Report's 'Best of 2008' and Travel + Leisure GOLF, Blackbird Vineyard's merlot-dominated wines may be the key to elevating the often overlooked grape to a higher perception among red wine lovers. The vineyard placed in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley demonstrates this elevation particularly well through "Illustration", a proprietary red wine which is a blend of 86% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. This great wine has been c

Pickens County OKs Sunday wine tastings (The Greenville News)

Tue, 21 Oct 08 02:34:27 -0700
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Wine Trail - a gift that work for you -Excitinglives.com

Tue, 21 Oct 08 02:21:46 -0700
You don't need to travel to France for a tour of the vineyards!Have this excellent experience right here in India!

The Western Cape Winelands

Tue, 21 Oct 08 00:51:17 -0700
I awoke early to a beautiful day in South Africa. Normally it is not my style to book an activity for the day after my arrival in a country, however the girl who checked me in said there were a bunch of people already signed up for a wine tasting tour so it should be fun. Sure enough, our van included 3 Norwegian nursing students fresh off two months of work in Namibia, 2 Indian army guys on vacation from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, 2 Kiwi sisters, Dominque from San Francisco


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