It's not certain when ancient wine making with grapes actually began, but early cultures made fermented drinks from other things such as grains, honey and various fruits. Most likely, after accidently discovering that grapes would ferment, the same process was applied to grapes. Cultivated grapes were initially unknown and the earliest grape wines would have been made from wild grapes. The wine was also probably less alcoholic, because wild grapes contain less sugar than those from cultivated vines.

Early Cultures’ Love of Wine

Ancient wine making was practiced by the early Egyptians who recorded the harvesting of grapes on their stone tablets and tombs. Great importance was given to the production of wine and its consumption was a big part of any social event. The Egyptians loved wine so much that they imported the vine cuttings of grapes for cultivation and pharaohs were entombed with bottles of wine for their journey to the underworld.

The Egyptians were not the first culture involved in ancient wine making. Ancient Greek poets and historians praised the virtues of wine and it was considered the drink of the upper class and not to be consumed by ordinary citizens. Production of wine spread throughout Europe during the time of the Roman Empire and wine finally became available to the masses.

Monks Perfect the Process

During the Dark Ages, as the Church expanded its monasteries, the production of wine became the art of the monks. They developed some of the best vineyards and wines in Europe and by the time Shakespeare arrived on the scene, wine was very much a staple in the common man’s diet.

People of the Shakespearian age enjoyed drinking wine and discussing its virtues and sins with great enthusiasm. They began to appreciate the subtle varieties in flavor and wine became an important part of art and culture. By the end of Shakespeare's life, ancient wine making was moving into a new age.

Moving Toward the Future

As cultivation of the grape continued to grow and better methods of storage were developed, wine making became more widespread. Of course with these improvements came a consistent supply of grapes and a growing economic interest in wine making. Wine containers with narrow tops and better seals were designed, that would allow for easier storage and transportation of the wine and soon wine became a very lucrative business. The craft of ancient wine making was slowly moving toward the future.