A lookback at 'A Brief History of Wine'

Wine is a fascinating product, with a long and mysterious history. Where was it discovered? How was it discovered? Was it by accident? And who were the first people to grow grapes for wine production in the world? 

These were just some of the questions we explored during our two-part wine tasting course, aptly titled 'A Brief History of Wine'. It was important to first understand that we don't actually know where the first ever wine was made, or how it was discovered. It was most likely an accident! However we can look at the oldest archaeological evidence discovered for wine production, in the foothills of the Caucusus on what is now Georgia around 8000 years ago. The wine was made in a clay jar called a Kvevri which was buried underground for fermentation. This traditional style of wine making is still used in Georgia today. 

We then continued our journey through the history of wine, in how it became revered in Ancient Egypt, followed by Ancient Greece and the creation of the Wine God Dionysus (Bacchus), and then in Roman Italy before vines and wine were transported rapidly round Europe with the expansion of the Roman Empire. 

Moving into modern history we explored the impact of the Cistercian Monks in developing some of the world's finest vineyards in Burgundy and Germany, the explosive development of new wines in medieval times (Port, Sherry and Claret to name a few!) and the introduction of vines in countries we refer to as "New World". 

Throughout the two sessions we also tasted 12 delicious wines, paired with the specific region or milestone we were learning about, starting with a traditionally made Georgian Kvevri wine, and finishing with a classic Californian Zinfandel. It really helped to set the tone and create an immersive experience. We also experimented by tasting wines with some historical 'additives' such as herbs, honey, cinnamon and the most shocking of all - salty sea water! 

Finally we were really lucky to be given a short talk by one of our guests, Steve, who shared his collection of vintage corkscrews, with a history of how the bottle and corkscrew developed. Thanks to Steve for his contribution, a really interesting section! 

We'll likely be running this course again in the near future so watch this space if it would be of interest. We'd love to see you there, or at another tasting event! 

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