Wine History For the First Time
Wine is one of the oldest beverages, but nobody really knows how it was created. New archaeological findings are challenging previous ideas about when wine was first made. New research shows that neolithic man drank wine shortly after hunting mammoths and inventing the wheel. In ancient Georgia, winemaking was still very primitive, but ancient Georgians were some of the first to create wine.
what happened in wine history?
In the 1800s, French vineyards were decimated by Phylloxera, an insect that attacked the vine’s roots. Thankfully, treatments were developed. During this time, vines were grafted onto American rootstocks. This new method allowed winemaking to continue without the use of wooden barrels. By the turn of the century, Phylloxera had infested most of Europe’s vineyards. By the time of the American Revolution, nearly 90% of the wine grown in France had been destroyed by the insect.
Before the onset of Prohibition, nearly ninety percent of all wine consumed in the United States came from California. This was largely due to the immigration of southern Mediterranean immigrants who sought affordable wine for everyday consumption. This rekindled American interest in wine. Today, California and Texas are the largest producers of wine in the world.
What Happened in Wine History For the First Time?
Wine is used in the Catholic church as a substitute for Christ’s blood. In ancient times, the wine industry was considered a sign of a prosperous society. Only advanced societies could sustain a competitive wine industry. Western civilization was built on wine. So, when you’re drinking wine, raise a glass to these ancient pioneers and innovators.
Wine production in California began as an industry. A small group of dedicated winemakers worked hard to develop the industry. Marketing the wine was an issue, however. The California wine industry was slow to catch on, but the Judgment of Paris was a turning point. Using blind tasting techniques, California wines outranked the French in the white and red wine categories. The news reached the world, including President Lincoln.
Wine was used for medicinal purposes as well. Ancient Greeks used wine for ceremonial purposes and even used it as an antiseptic. They also used wine to sedate women during childbirth. It was even used to treat gout, and was used to treat disease. Wine was introduced to other cultures, including the Romans and Greeks.
After the French Revolution, most wine production in France was privatized. The United States began mass production of wine in 1825. Grocery stores began selling wine in glass bottles. By the 1880s, wine production was so prevalent in the United States that the Single Bottle Act was passed in the US.
Until the seventeenth century, wine producers used their feet to grind and soften the grapes, transferring microorganisms from one part of the fermentation process to the other. This process was a tricky one, and the results were varied. If fermentation took too little time, there would be no alcohol produced, and if it took too long, the mixture would become undrinkable. The key to the fermentation process was temperature and air exposure.