The wine, the beginning

The origins and domestication of the grapevine get lost in the night of the times. However, the research and discoveries carried out by historians and archeologists match that the grapevine was cultivated in the Neolithic. For example,in the county of Shanxi (China) vases and jars were used to keep the wine and to be tasted by the monarchy. In Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Iran the grapevine was also domesticated, especially the Vitis Vinifera -this name was given by the illustrious botanist Carl Linnaeus .

Carl Linnaeus

The origin of this plant coming 45 millions years ago(Cenozoic period). This kind of grapevine was spread in all Eurasia in detriment of other kind of local grapevines. It seemed that the wine and the non-nomad men have a common history.







Historical Stage
The Historical Stage began when men started to use the writing to keep their knowledge and daily experiences. According to the experts the Historical Stage started in the IV millenium before Christ, when the writing began in Sumer among other early state-citys.

Hammurabi Code

During this period the following cultures bloomed:Sumerians, Mesopotamics, Caldews, Assyrians,Egyptians,

Old Egypt Vintage

Phoenicians, Syrians, Hittites, in Greece, the Minoans and Achaeans, and the firsts Hebrews among other cultures. And together with them, the grapevine and the wine evolved.

There is the idea that the viticulture traveled to the Western from the Middle East. Many writers coincide that the grapevine was mentioned for first time in the Old Testament from the Bible that said ‘Noah planted the vineyard and having drunk his wine, he got drunk’.

Noah drunk

Several writers indicate that the wine culture arrived to the Western trough Egypt. After that, it continued to Thrace and after to the rest of the Mediterranean World. The archaeological rescues of diverse shipwrecks have been confirming the devotion of the old Mediterranean cultures for the wine. The grapevine and the wine appear on Assyrian reliefs, on Egyptian funeral paintings, on Carthaginians tablets and there are several references in Morocco. In times of Greeks Achaeans, Homer mentioned the wine in his books, Iliad and Odyssey.

Greek toast

Moreover, he gave many details about theirs rites, preservation and ways of drink. In fact, the Greek broths were famous in this classic period. The cult to Dionysus came from the Near East and was extended to Greece.

Dionysus

This god was adopted by the Greeks. Dionysus (or Bacchus by the Romans), was strong linked to the celebration of the vineyard and the wine. Also it was the godfather of the agriculture and theatre.

The historical period and the evolution of the wine were more interesting when Greece was invaded by Indo-European cultures as the Ionics, Dorians and Corinthians who conquered the Achaeans with their sword of iron. This fact became the origin of the Classical Greece. Centuries later, the Roman conquered those cultures but this will appear in the next space...