As we welcome a new year, it seems like the perfect time to revisit the beginnings of wine. Long before sommeliers swirled glasses and pontificated notes of leather and pencil shavings, wine was simply a chance creation and enjoyed as a fortuitous discovery. Wine’s story begins not in the vineyards of France or Italy, but thousands of years earlier in the fertile valleys of South Caucasus, situated between the Black and Caspian Seas.
Archaeologists have traced the earliest evidence of wine to pottery shards, found in the modern-day country of Georgia, dating back to around 6000 BCE. The vessel’s remains revealed traces of tartaric acid, a key marker of grape fermentation. The “locals” likely stored crushed grapes in clay jars buried underground, creating the first job openings for neolithic winemakers. Georgians still use kvevri, large clay vessels sealed with beeswax, to create wine in a style much like their ancestors.
From Georgia, the practice of winemaking spread quickly considering it was the stone age. By 5000 BCE, winemaking had reached Iran including today's fifth most populous city of Shiraz. Fast-forward to 4100 BCE, and the people of Armenia elevated wine to the next level. Archaeologists have recently unearthed the world’s oldest winery in a cave, monikered Areni-1, complete with grape presses and fermentation vats. Among its remarkable finds, the cave contained the oldest preserved human brain tissue, a straw skirt, and even a shoe. This gives new meaning to the phrase: whatever you do, take care of your shoes.
Around 3000 BCE, Egyptians began making wine for gods and pharaohs, as it played a significant role in ancient ceremonial rituals. Following the introduction of grape cultivation from the Levant, a thriving wine industry was established in the Nile Delta. Meanwhile, Mesopotamians were writing wine into the Epic of Gilgamesh. The wine goddess, Siduri, advises Gilgamesh to enjoy life and good things as wine was believed to bring happiness and joy.
The next big change occurred when the Phoenicians spread wine throughout the Mediterranean, introducing vines to the Greeks, who later celebrated wine in the cult of Dionysus. The Romans took things further, turning wine into an empire‑wide industry, planting vines from Gaul to Hispania and perfecting preservation methods that still echo in modern cellars. For ancient Jews, wine was woven into sacred ceremonies, a tradition carried forward into Christianity through the Eucharist. In Greece, it embodied ecstasy and community while in Rome, it was both indulgent luxury and an everyday staple – a drink that managed to be divine and delicious all at once.
Wine’s origin story is really about discovery. Grapes were not just fruit; they were cultural fuel. From the buried kvevri of Georgia to the grand banquets of Rome, wine quickly became a symbol of ritual, commerce, and celebration. Millennia later, it still plays that same versatile role. Sacred enough for temples, social enough for feasts, and mischievous enough to spark dance moves that are best forgotten.
By Brian Henderson, CSW, FWS, SWS, Advanced Sommelier, JP's Wine & Spirits
