Wine History and Its Impact on Culture

Throughout history, wine has held a special place in our customs, diets and social gatherings. It even plays a role in our religious activities, as religions around the world use it in sacred ceremonies. Wine holds such an important place in many cultures that some not only enjoy drinking it but also honor it with festivals. Keep reading to learn how wine has impacted the world.

Did you know that the Mesopotamians were the first people to cultivate grapes and enjoy wine? Evidence shows that around 6000 B.C., at least the upper-class Mesopotamians were enjoying wine. The upper-class Egyptians were also fond of wine and even buried some of their dead with it, in order to make the journey to the afterlife more tolerable.

Ancient Greeks and Romans, who not only popularized wine consumption but also invoked it in many religious rites, also enjoyed wine. In Greece, poets and other artists praised the virtue of wine. In religion, wine was associated with the god Dionysus.

During the Roman Empire, wine spread throughout Europe and became available to the common man. No longer reserved for royalty or high culture, wine bars opened in cities and people made wine part of their everyday lives. Interestingly, Romans preferred to drink sweet wine rather than dry wine and liked to flavor their wines with such things as onions, garlic, fermented fish sauce and saltwater.

Later, during the Dark Ages, Christian monks produced wine in their monasteries, sustaining and refining the winemaking process during this turbulent time. Wine became a large part of religious ceremonies, and the Benedictine monks became one of the biggest producers of wine in France and Germany.

Through the centuries, wine has only grown more accessible and, therefore, more popular. As winemaking techniques improved, so did the varieties of wine on the market. Today, people can enjoy hundreds of red wines, white wines, rosé wines and sparkling wines. With so many bottles to choose from, there's bound to be a wine to please every palate.

Today's modern transportation innovations have also helped spread wine to people across the globe. With all the shipping options available, wine lovers in China can now enjoy the best French wines and those in Scandinavia can enjoy Chilean wines. Previously, many wine connoisseurs were limited to drinking wines produced in their own regions.

The wine industry has experienced massive growth in the last few decades. As more people grow to enjoy wine and as science continues to unlock the health secrets of drinking wine, the popularity of wine will only increase.

Wine means a number of different things to various people. While wine used to be a treasured commodity enjoyed only by the elite and those of high culture, over time, as production methods were refined, wine became more and more accessible to the common folk. From ancient to modern times, wine has evolved into a key part of our contemporary lives, playing an important role in festive parties as well as somber religious ceremonies.

Because wine symbolizes sophistication, tasting wine and pairing it with food is considered to be a fine art. When done correctly, the wine and the food bring out flavors in each other that you wouldn't taste from each alone. When done incorrectly, either the wine or the food overpowers, mutes or muddies the flavors of the more subtle components.

As a result, getting to know wine and understanding its flavors and body takes skill. For this reason, wine is a complex being that symbolizes class, culture, maturity and refinement.

Wine has had an impact outside of formal and informal social arenas. Along with parties and spiritual ceremonies, wine has also become a part of the medical world. In recent years, researchers have discovered that red wine promotes heart health, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

While many people use the word "champagne" as a synonym for "sparkling wine," few people know that a beverage can only be called "champagne" if it is made in the Champagne region of France and from Champagne grapes. However, sparkling wine, similar in texture and taste to champagne, has been made in a number of different regions worldwide.

In fact, as early as the 17th century, champagne faced a few rivals. Both the English and Spanish learned the fermentation process and added different sugars to white wine to create their own versions of sparkling white wines. Today, the production of Spanish Cava is second only to that of champagne. Each year, approximately 12 million cases of cava are produced.

While most people consider wine to be an everyday beverage that can be enjoyed at numerous occasions, many people reserve sparkling wine and champagne for important celebrations, such as weddings, anniversaries or graduations.