History
Wine has been produced for thousands of years, with evidence of ancient wine production in Georgia from c. 6000 BC (the earliest known traces of wine), Iran from c. 5000 BC, Armenia from c. 4100 BC (large-scale production),and Sicily from c. 4000 BC.]The earliest evidence of a grape and rice mixed based fermented drink sometimes compared to wine was found in ancient China (c. 7000 BC).
The altered consciousness produced by wine has been considered religious since its origin. The ancient Greeks worshiped Dionysus or Bacchus and the Ancient Romans carried on his cult. Consumption of ritual wine, probably a certain type of sweet wine originally, was part of Jewish practice since Biblical times and, as part of the eucharist commemorating Jesus's Last Supper, became even more essential to the Christian Church. Although Islam nominally forbade the production or consumption of wine, during its Golden Age, alchemists such as Geber pioneered wine's distillation for medicinal and industrial purposes such as the production of perfume.
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wine cave history
Wine caves are subterranean structures for the storage and the aging of wine. They are an integral component of the wine industry worldwide. The design and construction of wine caves represents a unique application of underground construction techniques. The storage of wine in extensive underground space is an extension of the culture of wine cellar rooms, both offering the benefits of energy efficiency and optimum use of limited land area. Wine caves naturally provide both high humidity and cool temperatures, which are key to the storage and aging of wine. (Source)
wine bottle history
It was only in the 17th century that glass was introduced into the wine industry. Many consider Sir Kenelm Digby, a controversial adventurer, privateer, and alchemist, to be “the father of the modern bottle.” At first, the bottles had fat bottoms and short necks, but, over time, the neck grew and lengthened while the bottom slimmed, and by the 1820s their shapes resembled modern wine bottles. In 1821, a company called Rickets of Bristol received a patent for a machine that manufactured identically sized bottles, in a shape, we would recognize.
While bottles are stylistically varied today, standard bottles hold 750ml of wine. Slightly larger and smaller bottles, following regional traditions still exist, but their usage has become increasingly rare.
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