Wine Miscellany A Jaunt Through the Whimsical World of Wine

Chapter 1 Vintage Vintages The earliest fermented beverage of which there is archaeological evidence dates back around 9,000 years. Chinese pottery shards from 7,000 bc show evidence of a mixed fermented drink made from either hawthorn or grapes. The next oldest winealmost certainly grape-basedwas traced from pottery found in the Neolithic complex at Hajji Firuz Tepe in Iran. There is little need to seek the origins of wine. Any grapes crushed in a rock hollow or left in a skin bag or a pottery bowl in the heat of the summer will ferment. The Neolithic peoples would undoubtedly have noticed how the sweetness of the grapes was transformed into a liquid with different and intriguing properties. A romantic Iranian legend speaks of a young lady intent on suicide after having been rejected by the king. Her chosen method was to drink the liquid residue of spoiled table grapes. She passed out but awoke to find that life was worth living after alland was restored to the harem after passing on her discovery. The Origins of Wine Wine of a different typeand very different vintagewas reportedly discovered by Chinese archaeologists in one of the tombs of the Western Han dynasty (206 bc to ad 25), in the city of Xian. Rice wine had been stored in a bronze vessel with a raw lacquer seal that had kept it entirely airtight. The wine was described as having a light flavor and a low alcohol content. It was, however, green. This may have been the result of oxidation from the bronze container, but Chinese wine experts say that some rice wine was fermented green. Patrick McGovern is an American archaeologist who discovered the oldest traces of wine on pottery vessels dating back to 7,000 bc. He has also analyzed a 3,000-year-old wine found hermetically sealed into bronze vessels. This wine had a floral odor on opening, though this dispersed almost immediately, and had been flavored with herbs and flowers, and in one instance, with wormwood (the essence of absinthe). WineBut Not As We Know It As the notes above on ancient Chinese rice wine record, the European Commission's definition of wine as the "fermented juice of grapes" excludes many types of wine. A recent addition to the pantheon of world "wine" is Chinese sh wine. The wine, for which the official Chinese news agency Xinhua claims orders have already been received from a number of neighboring countries, is said to be "nutritious and contain low alcohol." In 2001, the Orkney Wine Company was established in Scotland after getting grants from the local council and the Highland Fund. The plan was to make wine with fruit and vegetables; a whisky and carrot blend was the first planned for commercial consumption. Turnip experiments were successful, but it was felt the ingredients were unlikely to attract customers. Marijuana Wine Attractive (to some) but illegal in many jurisdictions is the following "wine." This "weedwine" recipe is from a United States website (www.totse.com). Ingredients 4 to 8 ounces fresh marijuana 3 oranges, sliced 2 gallons boiling water 3 lemons, sliced 5 pounds sugar or 8 pounds honey 2 cakes yeast Preparation Place the fresh cannabis in boiling water, and add sugar, orange, and lemon slices. Remove from the heat and let stand for several days. Add yeast after straining the wine into a clean container. Ferment for four weeks before racking and corking. The ancients might (or might not) have approved of such a recipe. We do not know for certain how important grapes (as distinct from other fruits and vegetables) were, other than as the most eaHarding, Graham is the author of 'Wine Miscellany A Jaunt Through the Whimsical World of Wine' with ISBN 9780307346353 and ISBN 0307346358.