What is the history of wine?
The earliest use of grapes to make an alcoholic beverage dates to about 9,000 years ago in China.
Generally when you think of wine in China it's rice wine, and indeed, this early recipe from Jiahu contained a mixture of rice, honey, and perhaps grape or Chinese hawthorn.
But the origins of the European wine making industry are found further west, in western Asia between the Mediterranean and Caspian seas. There, about 6,500 years ago, people started making wine from grapes.
Cheers to the holiday season!
- The Origins of Wine, more on the history of wine and the archaeological evidence
- The Domestication of Rice
- Plant Domestication Table
Wines at About.com
Comments
And a jolly good idea it was too!!
One of the better concepts of civilisation.:-)