The Rise of Wine among Ancient Civilizations across the Mediterranean Basin

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to present the archaeological and historical background of viticulture and winemaking from ancient times to the present day in the Mediterranean basin. According to recent archaeological, archaeochemical and archaeobotanical data, winemaking emerged during the Neolithic period (c. 7th–6th millennium BC) in the South Caucasus, situated between the basins of the Black and Caspian Seas, and subsequently reached the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe during the local beginning of Iron Age (c. 8th century BC), following the main maritime civilizations. This review summarises the most relevant findings evidencing that the expansion of wine production, besides depending on adequate pedo-climatic conditions and wine-growing practices, also required the availability of pottery vessels to properly ferment, store and transport wine without deterioration. The domestication of wild grapevines enabled the selection of more productive varieties, further sustaining the development of wine trade. Other fermented beverages such as mead and beer gradually lost their relevance and soon wine became the most valorised. Together with grapes, it became an object and a system of value for religious rituals and social celebrations throughout successive ancient Western civilizations. Moreover, wine was used for medicinal purposes and linked to a wide variety of health benefits. In everyday life, wine was a pleasant drink consumed by the elite classes and commoner populations during jubilee years, festivals, and banquets, fulfilling the social function of easy communication. In the present work, emphasis is put on the technical interpretation of the selected archaeological and historical sources that may explain present viticultural and oenological practices. Hopefully, this review will contribute to nurturing mutual understanding between archaeologists and wine professionals.

Evaluation of the Phytochemistry–Therapeutic Activity Relationship for Grape Seeds Oil

“…In antiquity, papyrus and ceramic fragments were the most used as writing material, being common in different periods of civilization. The Ebers papyrus, one of the oldest and best-preserved medical documents of Ancient Egypt, written around 1500 BC, then discovered in the Valley of the Kings, contains recipes for various remedies, in some of which Vitis vinifera L. is also mentioned [ 95 ]. Grapes are mentioned in both ancient European and Asian mythology and in ancient religious writings, being considered essential for good health.…”

Dawne i Współczesne Metody Stabilizacji Wina

“…Psucie się wina może być opóźnione przez wysokie zawartości alkoholu i cukru (bakterie kwasu octowego nie rozmnażają się powyżej 16% etanolu, v/v), ale bez innych środków byłoby to rozwiązaniem krótkotrwałym. Podstawowym wymogiem powinno być prawidłowe zamknięcie fermentującego napoju w celu uniknięcia kontaktu z powietrzem, co potwierdzają częste ślady obecności glinianych i korkowych zabezpieczeń w naczyniach starożytnych [40]. Wiele dotychczasowych dowodów archeologicznych wskazuje, że starożytne metody konserwacji wina gronowego i innych napojów fermentowanych polegały na celowym nasączaniu żywicą terpentynową lub sosnową, prawdopodobnie pełniącą rolę środka przeciwutleniającego i leczniczego [52][53][54][55].…”

“…W tym celu stosowali dodatek w postaci figi pokrojonej w plastry [55]. W związku z powyższym wydaje się zatem, że dwutlenek siarki (SO 2 ), obecnie najbardziej uznany środek konserwujący, nie był powszechny w czasach starożytnych [40].…”

“…fermentację jabłkowo-mlekową/malolaktyczną, która następuje zwykle po zakończeniu fermentacji alkoholowej [66]. Fermentacja ta ma jednak drugorzędne znaczenie w przypadku przefermentowanych produktów owocowych [40].…”

O comportamento do consumidor de vinho da serra catarinense

“…O vinho é um produto milenar e que mantém, vinculado ao seu consumo, um ritual e uma variedade de informações disponíveis para a escolha do produto adequado (Algranti, 2016;Castro et al, 2021;Liu, 2021;Harutyunyan & Malfeito-Ferreira, 2022). Com o passar dos anos, ele vem conquistando as preferências entre os consumidores de bebidas fermentadas e esse número está crescendo cada vez mais.…”