The History of Wine
Wine is one of humanity's oldest beverages, inseparable from our agriculture, religion and culture for eight millennia.
From the Caucasus to the table
The earliest evidence of grape wine-making dates to around 6000 BCE in the Caucasus, where cultivated grapes were first processed with man's first wine presses. From there the craft travelled through Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, which planted vineyards across its empire — from Gaul to Iberia.
Monasteries preserved and advanced the craft through the Middle Ages, mapping the best vineyard sites. The wine world we know took shape through trade, empire, the 1855 Bordeaux classification and, in the 20th century, an explosion of New World quality and the modern era of terroir-driven winemaking.
Key points
- Wine-making began around 6000 BCE in the Caucasus.
- Rome spread viticulture across Europe.
- Monasteries mapped Europe's finest vineyard sites.
- Modern wine is defined by terroir, technology and global trade.