Home Winemaking - The History and Benefits Articles | Home Winemaking

By: Darren Williger

Wine has been around for thousands of years. It has been reported that Noah discovered wine making after his ordeal with the flood.

From ancient civilizations to modern times, wine has been produced and enjoyed by many people of all walks of life. The first evidence of wine produced dates back to 6000BC during the Mesopotamian culture. It has been shown that the Mesopotamians were the first people to cultivate grapes.

Although not the first to produce wine, the ancient Egyptians were the first people to record the wine making process. They recorded the harvest of grapes on stone tablets and on the walls of their tombs. It has been reported that their love of wine, forced them to import the grapes that they were unable to grow themselves. It has been recorded that many Pharaohs were buried with bottles of wine with them to assure their journey to the next world be more enjoyable. Just as in modern times, wine was a very social drink in Ancient Egypt.

Wine also played a major role in the religion of Ancient Greece. It was associated with the god Dionysus and was praised by Greek poets, historians and artists. Much like the ancient Egyptians, wine was considered a privilege and only the upper class were permitted to consume it.

During the time of the Roman Empire, the production of wine spread throughout Europe. It was at this time that wine became available to the common citizens. It has been found that the consumption of wine became so popular that some cities built bars on nearly every street just for the purpose of drinking and celebrating wine. Pure red or white wines were unheard of in ancient Rome, instead the Romans believed that adding flavor to their wine was more important than to taste the original flavor of the wine. They began to add flavors such as garlic and onion to their wines.

During the Dark Ages, wine production was made by the efforts of monasteries. As the church expanded, so did their wine production. It was at this time that some of the finest vineyards in Europe began to develop. Due to the fact that Europe lacked a source for clean, safe drinking water, wine was considered to be an important part of everyday life.

During the 17th century, the wine industry saw a brief decline. A supply of clean drinking water was now available so wine was no longer needed as a major part of the daily diet. Politics and religion did not help matters by doing very little to promote drinking wine for pleasure. During the 18th century, wine went through many changes. Because of England’s strained relationship with France, they were without a major source of wine and had to look to Portugal, Holland and South Africa for their wine. Even with having bad relations with England, the wines of Bordeaux began to flourish during the 18th century. Merchants traveled from all over Europe just to get a chance of obtaining Bordeaux wines. As a result Bordeaux made trades for coffee and other sought after items. This cemented their place in the wine making world.

Although the 19th century is considered the golden age of wines, it has been found that many of the French grapevines began to suffer from a mysterious disease at this time. For this reason, some French winemakers moved to the Rioja region of Spain and taught their people the process of wine making.

In modern times, wine is as popular as ever. The process of wine making has developed greatly. After the development of refrigeration, it was easier for wineries to control the temperature of their fermentation process. This enabled high quality wines to be produced anywhere, regardless of the climate.

More countries are producing wine at greater varieties more than ever before. Although the art of wine making has essentially remained the same, every new recipe allows a more unique take on wine and its varieties.

There are many benefits to home wine making. Aside from the health benefits you can get from moderate consumption of wine, home wine making can be quite fulfilling. Home wine making is an enjoyable, educational and satisfying hobby. The process of making wine at home has become more and more popular with the ease of home wine making kits that are now available. Recipes and instructions make the process easy and successful for anyone interested. For wine enthusiasts around the world, creating wine at home provides a sense of fulfillment that for many can be unmatched.