What is the real origin of wine?

The agricultural landscape of the Mediterranean, characterized by its distinctive trio of grapes, cereals, and olives, forms the backbone of the region's renowned diet, centered around wine, bread, and oil. Tracing the origins of viticulture leads us on a fascinating journey deep into the annals of history.

Long before the cultivation of grapes began, the wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) thrived across a vast expanse stretching from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, through the Mediterranean, reaching as far as Greece and Turkey, and eventually extending to the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the slopes of the Himalayas.

The Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic peoples, who still led a hunter-gatherer existence, were the first to consume these wild fruits. This is evidenced by the discovery of wild grape seeds at various archaeological sites in Europe and the Near East, dating back to before 8000 BC.

The advent of agriculture and animal husbandry around 9000 BC, in the Neolithic era, did not immediately lead to the cultivation of grapevines. Neolithic communities continued to consume wild grapes, and remains of Vitis sylvestris have been documented throughout the Mediterranean basin.

It was around 6000 BC that the transformative properties of fermented grape juice were discovered. The fruits of the wild variety could be turned into wine, a fact that was realized by inhabitants of Iran, where recent archaeological findings, analyzed in laboratories, confirm the presence of wine.

However, the first evidence of the domestication of this species appears later. Viticulture seems to have begun towards the end of the 4th millennium BC, about 5500 years ago, in a region south of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It is from this period that the earliest sites containing seeds of the domestic grape variety (Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa) have been dated. Furthermore, historical references from the early 3rd millennium BC indicate the proliferation of grape production and juice consumption.

The Bible, a seminal text, also references various aspects of viticulture and winemaking in the Syro-Palestinian region, activities held in high esteem. Vineyards and their products are repeatedly mentioned as symbols of wealth, first in the Old Testament and later in the New Testament.

Recent discoveries of tartaric acid residues in ceramic vessels from the Middle East (Godin Tepe, Iran; Uruk, Iraq) dated around 3500 BC, document the trade of wine via river routes in this region, known as the "wine boats." The need for owning vineyards to supply wine for royal tables and liturgical ceremonies became evident, and as early as the reign of Gudea (around 2100 BC), the cultivation of grapevines is attested.

This rich history highlights the deep cultural and historical significance of viticulture in the Mediterranean, a tradition that has shaped not only the region's agricultural practices but also its cultural and social fabric.