The most reliable facts about the oldest wine in the world

Many centuries ago, mankind had just begun to study the wonderful properties of grapes. And already then people have guessed to use it for making the most valuable drink - wine. Thanks to the excavations of modern archaeologists, constantly discovering ancient objects with particles of wine, we can learn more about the oldest wines in the world. In this article we will try to introduce you to the most ancient finds. As in any field, within the framework of the topic of the oldest wine in the world, there is a lot of conflicting and not entirely reliable information. We will provide you with the most accurate and interesting facts regarding the traces of the most ancient wines found.

The oldest bottle of wine in the world

This incredibly valuable exhibit is kept in the Historical Museum of Germany. Found it in 1867 during excavations in the small German town of Speyer. Then the common grave of a Roman nobleman and his wife was found. According to experts, the history of the oldest wine in the world began more than 1690 years ago! Of the sixteen bottles found in the sarcophagus, only one was preserved. If you believe the ancient legend, then this wine was necessarily placed to accompany the deceased to the afterlife. Unfortunately, until now, the contents of the bottle could not be saved in its original form. Now it is rather an acidic transparent liquid with olive oil. Yes, yes, it's butter! In ancient times, a small amount of this product was always added to the bottles of wine, which prevented the evaporation of alcohol. Unfortunately, this measure saved only a few years, but not centuries.

Another no less interesting fact is how in ancient times they bottled up bottles of wine. Today all of us are accustomed to ordinary traffic jams, and earlier the bottles were sealed with the help of wax. That's why we managed to preserve the contents of the oldest bottle. After all, the cork plug would simply rot in such a number of years.

Another German find, considered the oldest wine in the world produced in the last millennium, is a 1727 drink. The exhibit is kept in the museum of the city of Bremen.

The oldest wine in the world from China

At present, there is no more ancient find than the wine found in China - it is more than nine thousand years old! This rice wine contained not only cereal base, but also grapes, honey, and other fruits. During the excavations it was found more than five liters of this old drink, which no archaeologist dared to try. After all, being stored for such a long time in a vessel made of bronze, it could simply become oxidized and deteriorate.

And one more drink, deserving to be called the oldest wine in the world, was given to us by China. It was discovered not so long ago - in 1980, during excavations in the town of Xinyane. According to the results of the examination, this wine was made in 1300 BC.

The oldest wines of Spain

Quite an old wine - made in Spain in 1775 and called "Jerez de la Fronteira" - is stored in the Crimean museum "Massandra". The price of the oldest wine in the world in 2001 was more than fifty thousand dollars per bottle. It was this value that was given to the lot during the Sotheby's auction.

Another rare representative of the grape drink is Chateau D'Yquem. A bottle of wine produced in 1787 in Bordeaux wine was sold in 2006 for 90 thousand dollars. To date, this is the most expensive wine sold in the history of wine auctions.

Iranian ancient wine

During one of the archaeological investigations in the northern part of Iran, a vessel with petrified remains of a yellowish color was found. After a thorough examination of the discovered utensils, it was revealed that an interesting find is none other than the oldest wine of more than seven thousand years! There is an assumption that the modern winemaking industry originates in the mountains of Western Asia.

The newest find

More recently, during excavations near the Tower of London, a sealed bottle of Madeira wine was found. Archaeologists found a cellar belonging to the military command of the seventeenth century. And this means that the wine lay about 1679. There is a version that the drink was made in the middle of the seventeenth century from grapes from Madeira, and then sent to the British colonies. Most likely, having tasted the wine, the owner did not remain satisfied and simply postponed it. This version was born thanks to the found open bottle next to the untouched.

And what about Europe?

The Italians and Greeks also try to prove that they once produced wines on their lands, and these wines are much older than those found nowadays. So, during the archaeological excavations in Greece, it was found about two and a half thousand grape seeds and at least three hundred empty grapes that were at least seven thousand years old. The remains of the grapes testify that from it, perhaps, in those distant times on the territory later sung in myths and legends, Hellas made wine or at least juice. It remains only to prove that the found bones - this is the waste of production so beloved in the whole world of the drink.