Wine history: The drink with a long history

2024. 09. 11.

The drink with a long history

Mysteries have always been associated with wine. They saw it as a divine miracle, a divine gift. And the Romans considered it to be life itself (Vinum Vita Est).

Here's a little wine history!

How long have we been drinking wine?

The truth is that we don't know the answer to this question. One thing is certain, at that time it was quite simply safer to drink wine than water. Because until water consumption became generally safe, people solved their daily fluid intake with wine. In those days, you could get water in three ways.

1. Wells

Wells were a relatively safe source of water. However, it was enough if an infected person - who does not yet have symptoms - let the bucket back into the well after drinking. Within a few weeks, the entire region was infected.

2. Lakes

The big disadvantage of the water in the lakes is that all dirt and infection settles on the water's edge. Right where we want to drink.

3. Rivers

The river carries pollution and infection further away, but the problem is that it only takes it further away, it does not eliminate it. An infected section of the river (for example, a few dead bodies in the water - which was not uncommon at the time) infected the entire downstream section of the river.

Consumption of wine in the Middle Ages

When St. Benedict of Nursia founded the Benedictine order (6th century AD), he also recorded, among other things, how much a monk could drink per day. This amount is exactly one hemin per day. The monks give the following answer to the specific amount of this: "Everyone has a personal hemina from the Lord." They later clarified: "A hemina is the amount that makes you feel closer to God, but you don't allow yourself to be tempted by the devil."

Why is it good to drink wine?

“Wine releases pleasures and makes pains more bearable," says the proverb.

Modern medical science has also proven that, when consumed in moderation, wine also has a vision-improving effect.

Reasonable wine consumption not only has a good effect on the individual, but it is also forward-looking on a social level. Alcohol promotes cooperation to a small extent.

The birth of Europe's famous wine regions

In the new era, European wine culture continued to enrich itself: wine consumption increased, winemaking techniques became more refined. The famous wine regions of France, Italy and Spain became internationally known during this period.

The 18-19. In the 19th century, the industrial revolution and the development of transport made it possible for the best wines to spread throughout Europe.

Az európai bor mélypontja

19th-century Europe promised the wine market to flourish, as wine was loved by almost everyone. So what caused the huge decline in European winemaking? Phylloxera epidemic.

Phylloxera (Phylloxera vastatrix) is a grape root aphid that wreaked havoc on European vineyards at the end of the 19th century. Originally from the Americas, phylloxera first appeared in France in the 1860s and quickly spread across the continent.

The epidemic destroyed most of France's vineyards: Bordeaux and Champagne were particularly affected. For the next decade, winemakers in Italy also faced enormous devastation: the epidemic reached such famous regions as the Tuscan Chianti, or the Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions. The grapes grown here were also largely destroyed. By the last decades of the century, phylloxera also reached Eastern Europe, which almost completely destroyed the Hungarian wine regions. Tokaj, the Balaton highlands, the region of Eger and Villány were also severely affected.

Good in bad

The epidemic - although it destroyed a lot of grapes - brought development. The winemakers were able to make wine again, albeit with a lot of work. New technologies and grape varieties became known, so the destruction eventually contributed to the improvement of the quality of the wines.

Those who prefer beer can also be happy! As a result of the epidemic, wine consumption decreased throughout Europe, and at the same time beer production began to develop rapidly. The initial growth did not stop after the epidemic, industrial breweries spread and the technology of beer production also developed.

The love and respect of wine has been with us since the Egyptians. Until today, when the gastronomic experience becomes part of human culture.

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