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A Quick History of Red Wines
The first evidence of grape harvesting and fermentation dates back to 6000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Egyptian pharaohs were buried with bottles of red wines to enjoy in the afterlife. In Ancient Greece red wines became the drink of the elite.
In Rome, however, red wines received major exposure. Wine bars existed and the exportation of the drink reached the corners of the empire. In 92, Domitian ordered that the vines near the Bordeaux region of France be extricated to make room for the wheat needed for Roman sustenance, but it is also suspected that he wanted Roman wine to remain the best and most popular.
In the Middle Ages, red wins spread across Eurasia, but only Christian monasteries continued to make it, because of the sacrament. This period saw the rise of stronger, more full-bodied wines, which replaced the watered down red wines of Antiquity.
In the 18th century red wines and white wines were traded widely and regional variations led to the characteristic development of strains. The 19th century saw the rise of New World wines, and a plague of phylloxera late in the century, which destroyed many old vines. European varietals were grafted onto American rootstock to be saved. At the same time, Champagne, ports and sherries increased in popularity among the wealthy.
Today red wines and white wines continue to be a huge business.
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Posted on: Monday, November 1st, 2010 at 8:47 am
Posted in: Wine in Pop Culture
Tags: laurent perrier rose, online wines, red wines, rose wines, white wines