WINE, VINO, VIN, WEIN, वाइन
Whatever you call it, it’s been around for centuries, starting in China circa 7000 BC and quickly spreading westward. It played an important role in Mesopotamia, Israel and Egypt and was an essential part of Phoenician, Greek and Roman civilizations.
The Greeks and Romans worshipped Dionysus, aka Bacchus, God of “Wine, Merry Making, Theatre and Ecstasy”
While touring the museum at Ancient Olympia in 2013, our guide told us a wine-related story:
The ancient Greeks were smart and mixed their wine with water, in order to enjoy it without getting drunk. A famous battle in Greek Mythology was fought between the Lapiths (a Greek tribe) and the Centaurs (half man, half horse). The Centaurs, all extremely drunk, were summarily defeated and banished by the sober Lapiths.
The western pediment from the Temple of Apollo at Olympia depicts that battle:
Historically, wine has been an important part of certain religious rituals, particularly in Christianity, (especially Catholicism), and Judaism. Many monasteries make their own wine.
In modern times, wine is made just about everywhere. My favourites are dry wines from Italy, France, Spain and Greece, but was pleasantly surprised by the wines we encountered in Germany six years ago German wine, once notoriously sweet, has changed for the better.
Some wines from California, U.S.A. and British Columbia, Canada are also good. They even make wine right here in Ontario that many people enjoy, but I have to be honest – they don’t appeal to me that much.
Ontario is famous for making Ice Wine, which is very expensive and considered a delicacy. It dates back to Roman times, but the Germans re-invented it in the 18th century. Again, too sweet for me, but not bad if you cut it with brandy.
CHEERS!
Do you enjoy wine? What’s your favourite?
Looking forward to your comments!
Reading Material:
Next post, a classic rant:
[click on the image to read further]
And, to everyone in the U.S.A., have a fabulous holiday weekend!
MORE FROM THE BLOG:
Follow THE DOGLADY’S DEN on WordPress.com
Discover more from The Doglady's Den
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
31 thoughts on “THE HISTORY OF WINE”
Hi debbie – couldn’t get Eric up … but it’s that Brit thing! Wonderful post about vino … taken me forever to get here and you’re on holiday now – ah well … we make some wine here in England, and the Romans had vineyards in the north of England! The climate does change … cheers Hilary
I feel so out of it. Never been a wine drinker. But I do like Eric’s music.
Eric is amazing! He still sounds good, at age 76. ? Thanks for checking out the post.
DEBBIE ~
At the time it was a radio hit (1970), ‘SPILL THE WINE’ was my favorite song for awhile. (I’ve spilled some wine, but never while taking that girl.)
Cheap Boone’s Farm wine is what I cut my alcoholism teeth on. That was a pretty universal thing in the U.S. We’d find certain places that would sell it to our underage selves. Then I graduated to SoCo & Coke (SOuthern COmfort – ugh! -that pancake syrup so loved by Janis.) We were young and foolish, and today, just the smell of Boone’s Farm or SoCo would probably make me gag.
But I eventually graduated to better booze, including some excellent California (Napa Valley) wines. I still think White Wines taste like vinegar, but I dig the deep, dark Reds. And they also provide the warmest, happiest of buzzes.
Tonight… I’m thinking some Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry (a fortified wine) is in order. Sherry is actually a little too sweet for my tastes, but who am I to argue with the educated palates of Frasier and Niles Crane? 😉
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Hi Stephen! I believe the line is “spill the wine, take that PEARL,” or, was that meant to be facetious? 😀 After Googling “Boone’s Farm wine,” I came across this amusing piece, referring to it as “Baccus-forsaken swill”:
https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/04/drinking-the-bottom-shelf-boones-farm.html
It looks similar to the fruity M20/20 that CW Martin mentioned. Yuck! 😛 Mind you, when I was in Switzerland, Apple wine was all the rage; kind of like cider. Never did anything for me. Crown Royal Apple, on the other hand, is some good sippin’ whiskey!
Ah yes, Janis and her ever-present bottle of Southern Comfort. 🙂 My husband likes that stuff, once in a while, also with Coke. Tastes more like a liqueur, to me.
I mostly stick to dry white wines, because reds give me significant gastric distress. Exceptions are Beaujolais and Tempranillo. They have fewer tannins (the source of the agony). Red wine is supposed to have more health benefits than white, so, you’re doing well. 😉
Not a big fan of sherry myself, (sorry, Frasier and Niles!) but I do like some fortified wines, like Dubonnet or Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth. And Crown Royal to the latter and that gives you a good Manhatten.
Thanks for checking out the post. Cheers!
I enjoyed savouring this informative post as I love a great wine. My father used to run a Beaujolais society in the UK so that must have been my first taste. However, my mother was half-Chilean and her mother ensured we bought Chilean Concha y Toro wines by the case – well, it is the best in the World; I even got the French consul in Malta to admit that. In fact, when the French vineyards were ravaged by grape phylloxera, some French winemakers traveled to South America, bringing their experience and techniques with them. So many of the best Chilean wines are the best of the French. My favourite is now Chilean Malbec, although my stomach prefers a ‘gentler’ rose. [Interesting article: https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/the-editors-blog/sena-wine-chilean-346215-346215 ]
]The excellence of Chilean wines is well-known, but I have yet to sample any. Interesting to know the background. My Italian husband prefers his country’s output and I don’t complain because they’re also good! 🙂 Beaujolais and Tempranillo are the only red wines my system can tolerate (low amount of tannins), so I mostly drink dry whites. Thanks for the article! Glad you enjoyed the write-up.
Hi Debbie – been AWOL all week but back now! Very interesting post but I can’t stand any kind of alcohol (or it can’t stand me – not sure which!) Haven’t been able to drink since 1990 but I don’t even think about it now. I love a nice glass of sparking water with fresh grapefruit juice. I get high on life ?. I LOVE this Eric Burdon track! Had never heard it before – it’s BRILLANT!. Many thanks for posting it.
Hi Gilly! 🙂 Everybody’s different. Hubby and I come from cultures (Italy and Germany) where alcohol in moderation is part of everyday life. We don’t drink to get high at all, but wine is a normal part of our main meal, purely as an enhancement. That’s the only time either of us drinks it, but we do enjoy occasional evening cocktails or shots as a means to relax after a long day. I’m surprised you’ve never heard this Eric Burdon song. It was a huge hit back in the day. One of my (many) favourites, as well. ♥ Thanks for coming by. Wishing you a fabulous summer weekend!
I love wine… especially pink wine. Enjoyed reading the story, although I don’t know how I feel about water in the wine. 😛
By coincidence, I’m drinking some rosé (pink) wine right now. 🙂 Some people still do add water or, even worse, soft drinks to their wine. Horrors! 😮
This quite an interesting read for someone like me who likes wine. I like trying different types of wines.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 There’s a seemingly infinite variety of wines out there. Thanks for reading!
I thought Tyrion Lannister was the God of wine 😀
I love wine, the red ones mostly! Nothing like ending the day with a glass of red. It calms you down and feels like a celebration at the same time.
The second time I had to Google something from comments here. Oh, Game of Thrones, okay…Never watched it! 😀 Wine and champagne are always festive and make any meal a gourmet feast. Thanks for dropping in!
I’m more of a bourbon or scotch guy but very interesting read!
If we’re talking about whiskey, make mine Canadian (rye), preferably Crown Royal! 😉 Thanks for coming by, Jeremy. I’m glad you enjoyed the history lesson. Cheers!
On this post, I have to go about in sackcloth shouting, “Unqualified”, as I know little about wine. My Dad used to make dandelion and clover wine, but I was far too young. The height of our early wine drinking was MD 20/20, and nowadays I just get a headache. I have had some beers, though, that are awful close…
Well, you’re one up on me, because I had to Google MD 20/20. That looks more like pop or juice and I bet it’s pretty sweet. That would give anyone a headache, I think! 🙂 I guess beer comes in many different flavours, too. I remember trying one called “Mike’s Hard Lemonade”. Not too bad!
I enjoy a nice glass of Cabernet! I don’t care for sweet and heavy wine or wine with a bitter taste. Thank you for the history on wine and thank you for the 4th of July wishes! I love the Eric Burden song.
Sweet and heavy wouldn’t suit me, either. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Eugenia. Eric Burdon is a true musical genius! ♥ Thanks for coming by.
In my mind wine is just fine,
Don’t drink much, just some of the time.
Love the Eric Burdon song. I remember when I first heard it shortly after it came out. I was always an Animals fan, but Burdon went the extra distance of creativity when he went solo (with War).
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
A rhyme about wine! 🙂 Yes, Eric Burdon is a huge favourite of mine, as well. Still going strong at 78 years young! That voice! ♥
Much of this I didn’t know. Thank you for the history lesson of wine.
Hubby and I like champagne and rarely do we have wine. We have a glass of wine if there isn’t any champagne to be had.
Have a fabulous day, Debbie. ♥
Champagne is always fun and festive! 🙂 Goes well with orange juice, too. Thanks for coming by, Sandee.
Debbie,
See, this is why I do not drink wine. Just look at those naked statues? Do you think these guys would’ve posed without their clothes? They weren’t even in their right minds to put a grape leaf in the right place. It looks like the sculptures must have hit the fruit of the vine a bit too hard as evident with the half horse half man statues. lol Putting all silliness aside…wait, I’m not sure I know how to do that but I’ll give it a stab, I absolutely love grapes and I miss the days my late in-laws grew their own. They didn’t make wine. I’m sure they began growing them as a way to make a little extra cash. My father-in-law told us stories how his parents used to petal produce and home-made butter to locals during the depression era and that sorta stuck for years. But, tending to a large garden, several apple trees, and several grape varieties provided a good store of food throughout the year in their early marriage up until the early millennium. Work was their hobby. I can’t imagine that but it’s true. They loved keeping busy. I sorta imagine in heaven they have a beautiful garden tending to it daily enjoying an abundant of fruit 365 days a years instead of for short earth season. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the history of wine.
Hi Cathy; Europeans don’t bother with fig leaves and usually “let it all hang out”. 😉 How interesting that your in-laws grew grapes and made their own butter for sale. I think, in those times, work was the only hobby and people didn’t know any other way to live. I know my mother was like that, as well. She didn’t know how to relax and enjoy life. On the other hand, this type of work probably was enjoyment to the older generations. Thanks for coming by. Have a lovely 4th of July!
This is way more than I have ever known about wine, all interesting and informative. Mateus was my wine of choice, years ago, when I imbibed.
I remember Mateus, from the 70s! It’s a rosé from Portugal. 🙂 Hubby played soccer for a Portuguese team one year and they had plenty of that at the after-parties. I’d be curious to try it again, now, to see if I still liked it. Glad you enjoyed the history. 🙂
Very interesting history. When I was younger, I used to like box wine. But that was just a passing phase. Now, I’m not a fan of the taste at all, unless it is extra sweet.
Box wine? Don’t think I’ve seen that, but I can’t imagine! 😮 Sorry, the wine snob in me just cringed! 😉 If you like extra sweet, then ice wine would probably be to your liking, Mary. Thanks for coming by!