Imagine eating savory pizza or a juicy piece of steak. These are delicious all by themselves. Add a tasty glass of wine and your meal tastes even better and is even more complete. Wine adds a definitive taste to your meal. It’s elegant, refined, and more importantly, delicious.
Learn more about how wine took the world by storm through this wine history guide including some interesting and fun facts about wine.
THE HISTORY OF WINE
The story of making wine from Grapes begins in China. Around 7000-6600 BCE, it is said that the Chinese started creating fermented beverages made of a mixture of rice, honey, and fruit. Proof of this is that people found residues on pottery shards. When examined, these pottery shards had tartaric acid remnants.
When you think about it, you might think that the first countries to ferment grape juice into alcohol would be countries where wine is popular like Italy or Spain. However, winemaking techniques go way back to countries like China, Armenia, and Egypt. These ancient world countries developed great winemaking techniques for fermenting grape juice into alcohol.
5 COOL FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT WINE
In earlier centuries, people drank wine instead of water when they were thirsty.
Nowadays, we’re lucky enough to have water filtering systems that make sure we drink clean water to avoid horrible diseases. But back then, before the geniuses who made these filters were born, water was more dirty than clean. That’s why people drank wine to quench their thirst.
Natural fermentation which is what winemakers used in the early centuries could kill germs that cause sickness that come from germs like salmonella. Because of this, wine was more trustworthy and was cleaner than water.
If you have a fear for wine, it’s called oenophobia.
Believe it or not, some people are afraid of wine. And this fear is called oenophobia. This usually causes people to have palpitations, shortness of breath, or tremors when in situations that have to do with wine. This phobia could be caused by traumatic events. What happens because of oenophobia are usually symptoms of anxiety.
Swirling wine in your glass releases its aromas.
Ever wonder why wine tasters swirl their glasses? Cause we have. Admit it. You’ve also swirled your glass just cause you want to feel elegant and fancy. You never really knew why wine tasters and people in movies swirl their glass. Well, we’re here to tell you.
Swirling wine in your glass helps release its aroma. It also helps aerate the wine to release vapors that enhance the smell and the aroma.
China is the leading market for red wine.
China has beaten France, Spain, and every other country is known for making red wine. It might only be the fifth most significant producer of wine in the world but, it beats every other country when it comes to red wine. This is because red, the color of red wine, is popular in Chinese culture as it represents luck.
A ton of grapes can produce 720 bottles of wine.
When it comes to making tons of wine, all you need is 1 ton of grapes. 1 ton of grapes can produce 720 bottles of wine. Now that seems to be enough to host a lot of dinner parties.
THE TAKEAWAY
Wine is one of the world’s most popular drinks. Wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon to the more affordable but still delicious wine you can get from the grocery can enhance a person’s meal. It offers rich flavor and just the right amount of bitterness. Your taste buds will thank you for it. So to the geniuses who invented winemaking techniques, we are all very grateful.