Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A (new) oldest winery found


National Geographic scientists have found the oldest-known complete winery facility, in south-eastern Armenia. (Armenia is SE of the Black Sea, and is bordered by Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia; this particular site is near the Iranian border.) Dating to 4000 B.C. (6000 years ago), the facility includes a shallow basin (for foot-stomping grapes) which drained into a deep vat (for fermentation).

Interestingly, seeds remain from the use of the facility, and they have been tested. They are from various varieties of Vitis vinifera--the same wine grapes we use today.

The previous oldest winery was found in Egypt, dating 5100 years ago.

However, there is evidence of even earlier wine drinking. This is just the oldest-known winery. Wine drinking goes, way, way back in time, to a time when wild wine grapes were fermenting on the ground, and folks noticed the birds who ate that mess were acting strangely, and the rest is history.



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