History of Winemaking

Winemaking is one of the oldest known art forms. In ancient Egypt and Greece, winemaking has been around since around 6000 B.C. It is thought that the first winemaking techniques were developed around this time. The art of winemaking spread throughout Europe, including ancient Greece and Rome. Today, winemaking is a worldwide industry.

Winemaking was a popular tradition in ancient Egypt. People harvested grapes and stored wine in amphoras, clay jars with two handles. Wine was also used for medical purposes. In fact, many ancient Egyptian tombs contain pictures of people harvesting grapes and making wine. Wine was also considered sacred to the ancient Egyptians because of its color and resemblance to blood. It also is believed that Egyptians associated red wine with the blood of their god, Osiris.

The Western Roman Empire fell during the 5th century. After that, the Roman Catholic Church became the stable social structure that helped preserve grape growing and winemaking technologies. Wine is made from grapes, which contain high sugar levels. When the grape is fully ripe, it breaks down and releases juice.

Winemaking was not popular in the Americas in the early days. The early settlers believed that wine was too European and didn’t belong in the new world. However, the climate in these regions was quite temperate, which helped to launch the wine industry. The development of hybrid grapes and trial-and-error also helped to increase wine production. The fermentation process is what gives the history of wine its characteristic taste and aroma. Until the mid-20th century, natural yeasts were used for fermentation. However, these were susceptible to spoilage.

What is the History of Winemaking?

Winemaking was first established in Anatolia by the Hittites and Hattians. By the time of the Ottoman Empire, the production of wine was practiced by non-Muslims. Although consumption was prohibited, the Ottoman Empire also derived a significant amount of revenue from wine.

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of the first winemakers. According to the findings of the Gadachrili Gora site in Armenia, grapes were used to make wine on a large scale by prehistoric humans. The archaeologists discovered tartaric acid in pottery samples, which suggests that grapes were used to make wine as early as 6,000 B.C.

Before Prohibition, there were more than 2,500 wineries in the U.S. It was a challenging time for the wine industry. Production dropped 94 percent from 1919 to 1925. Despite the challenges faced by these winemakers, they managed to produce superior quality wines. A turning point came in May 1976, when a blind tasting of California wines was held against the French. The French-dominated panel compared the wines side by side and the California wines came out on top in the reds and Chardonnays categories. The story was widely reported and was published in the time magazine.

As winemaking became a commercial endeavor, it spread throughout the world. Today, America and Western European countries dominate the industry. Each has its own grapes and apellation system for defining wine. Prior to the 1976 tasting, America’s New World wines were thought to be inferior to their European counterparts. But the 1976 tasting changed this perception and wine production has progressed to its present. Although the process of winemaking has remained the same, it is now carried out on a larger scale using improved technology.